[Cardiac involvement in Wegener's granulomatosis: report of four cases and review of the literature].
BACKGROUND
Discordance exists between the results of post-mortem studies and the low number of clinical reported cases of cardiac involvements in Wegener's granulomatosis.


METHODS
Data from four patients were studied retrospectively. Three patients had associated airway localization and three had kidney involvement. All patients had positive test for anti-PR3 antineutrophil antibodies. Two patients presented with dilated cardiomyopathy (one with terminal cardiac failure), another patient with complete atrioventricular block and pericarditis, and the remaining one with myopericarditis. One patient was asymptomatic. For three of these patients, the cardiac manifestations were contemporary of the diagnosis of Wegener's granulomatosis and had a severe disease course.


CONCLUSIONS
Cardiac events in Wegener's granulomatosis are probably underestimated, given the various type of heart damage and the clinical presentation. Cardiac involvement seems to be associated with a poor prognosis. Thus, we recommend systematic and regular cardiac assessment in the follow-up of patients with Wegener's granulomatosis.
Service de chirurgie et médecine vasculaire, faculté de médecine de Marseille, université de la méditerranée, hôpital La Timone, 264, rue Saint-Pierre, 13385 Marseille cedex 05, France. gabrielle.sarlon@mail.ap-hm.fr <gabrielle.sarlon@mail.ap-hm.fr>
G
G
Sarlon
C
C
Durant
Y
Y
Grandgeorge
E
E
Bernit
V
V
Veit
M
M
Hamidou
N
N
Schleinitz
J-R
JR
Harlé
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D014890:Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods