title: Cardiac involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus detected by echocardiography.
abstract: Cardiac involvement in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was assessed by full echocardiography and continuous wave Doppler in 50 consecutive patients and 50 age- and sex-matched control subjects in a prospective, blinded study. The left ventricular ejection fraction was decreased in patients compared to control subjects (61 +/- 9 vs 68 +/- 7%, p less than 0.001), whereas interventricular septum (12 +/- 3 vs 9 +/- 1 mm, p less than 0.001), and posterior wall dimension (9 +/- 2 vs 8 +/- 1 mm, p less than 0.001), left ventricular mass (186 +/- 54 vs 130 +/- 32 g, p less than 0.001) and mitral valve Doppler A:E ratio (0.8 +/- 0.2 vs 0.7 +/- 0.1, p less than 0.01) were increased. Pericardial effusion was detected in 27 patients and 5 control subjects, and valvular regurgitation was more frequent in the patients (aortic 2 vs 0; mitral 23 vs 5, p less than 0.001; tricuspid 34 vs 22, p less than 0.01 and pulmonary 28 vs 17, p less than 0.05). Mitral or aortic regurgitation was more common in patients with active SLE (60 vs 40%, difference not significant) but was not related to the duration of SLE (r = 0.02), duration of prednisone therapy (r = -0.13) or current dosage of prednisone (r = 0.01). This study demonstrates that pericardial effusion, valvular regurgitation and myocardial abnormalities are frequently present in patients with SLE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Prince of Wales Hospital.
authors.forename: I G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Crozier
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Milne
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Nicholls
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004452:Echocardiography; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000209:etiology; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000209:etiology; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D011241:Prednisone