What characterizes Dressler's syndrome?

Dressler's syndrome is characterized primarily by pericarditis, which is inflammation of the pericardium, the membrane surrounding the heart. This condition often follows myocardial injury, such as that seen after a heart attack or surgery. A significant symptom associated with Dressler's syndrome is fever, which typically accompanies the inflammatory process.

The presence of pericarditis manifests through chest pain that may be pleuritic in nature, along with other systemic inflammatory signs like fever. This syndrome is considered an autoimmune response to myocardial antigens released following injury to the heart tissue, which explains both the pericarditis and the fever.

In contrast, other options reflect different clinical syndromes that do not align with the specific features of Dressler's syndrome.