title: Cardiac alterations in ankylosing spondylitis.
abstract: Forty patients, 30 men and 10 women with an average age of 38.47 +/- 11.07 years, suffering from ankylosing spondylitis and attending a Rheumatology Outpatient Clinic, were evaluated for cardiovascular involvement. The evaluation was based on patients' clinical observation, electrocardiography, echocardiography, and chest x-ray. More than a simple review, this study was undertaken with the aim of arriving at a better clinical definition of the cardiovascular manifestations found in ankylosing spondylitis. In fact, of the 40 patients, 8 (20%) had systemic hypertension for which an explanation could not be found, 4 of whom were less than forty-five years old; the echocardiogram showed mitral valve prolapse in 4 patients (10%), 2 of them with a systolic murmur and other 2 with a protosystolic click on auscultation. More significant than the changes in conduction was the finding of a sinus bradycardia in 9 patients (22.5%), and a PR interval below 120 msec in 3 patients (7.5%). The authors conclude that the extension of cardiovascular changes in ankylosing spondylitis is more vast than usually acknowledged.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Sta. Maria University Hospital, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Espirito-Santo
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Queiroz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Madeira
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Macieira-Coelho
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000150:complications*