Echocardiographic findings in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus with and without pericardial effusion

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Abstract

Two dimensional and M mode echocardiographic studies were prospectively performed in 48 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus to assess the prevalence of morphologic and functional cardiac abnormalities and to relate these findings with pericardial effusion existence. Twenty eight patients (58 %) had cardiac abnormalities: increased left ventricular diastolic diameter was found in 4 patients (8 %), increased left atrium diameter in 4 (8 %), increased right ventricular diameter in 3 (6 %), reduced fractional shortening in 6 (12%), increased left ventricular mass in 16 (33%), segmentary abnormal wall motion in 3 (6 %), valvular lessions in 9 (19 %) ranking from mitral thickening in 8 (16 %) and aortic thickening in 2 (4 %) to Libman- Sacks vegetation in 1 patient, and pericardial effusion in 13 patients (27 %). Two patients with valvular in- volvement had mitral regurgitation and one of them mitral stenosis. Left atrium diameter correlated with left ventricular mass. Compared with patients without pericardial effusion, systemic lupus erythematosus patients with pericardial effusion had significantly increased left ventricular diastolic and systolic diameters, left atrium diameter and left ventricular mass. It is. concluded that endocardial, myocardial and pericardial abnormalities identified with echocardiography are frequent in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Patients with pericardial effusion have increased left ventricular cavities and left ventricular mass. It is suggested that there may be a link between pericardial and myocardial involvement.