Which condition is acute pericarditis most commonly associated with?

Acute pericarditis is most commonly associated with myocardial infarction, or heart attack. This condition occurs when the heart muscle is damaged, leading to inflammation of the pericardium, the fibrous sac surrounding the heart. Post-myocardial infarction pericarditis occurs typically within a few days to weeks following the myocardial infarction as an inflammatory response to the injury.

While renal failure can lead to complications that might involve the pericardium, such as uremic pericarditis, these instances are less frequent compared to the association with myocardial infarction. Pneumonia and cirrhosis are important medical conditions, but they do not have the same direct and significant link to acute pericarditis as myocardial infarction does. Understanding these connections helps clarify the pathophysiological relationships between heart conditions and inflammatory responses.