Severe cardiac failure due to rapidly progressive rheumatoid arthritis-associated valvulopathy.
Cardiac failure due to rapidly progressive valve disease is a rare complication of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that can be challenging to manage. A patient with severe heart failure secondary to RA who, after failing to respond to medical therapy, underwent high-risk valve surgery and did remarkably well, with dramatic symptomatic improvement and essentially normalised left ventricular size and function as seen on follow-up echocardiography.
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, Fulham Road, London, UK.
Jason M
JM
Tarkin
Nearchos
N
Hadjiloizou
Henry Oluwasefunmi
HO
Savage
Sanjay K
SK
Prasad
Mary N
MN
Sheppard
Neil E
NE
Moat
Sam
S
Kaddoura
D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004452:Echocardiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left