Cardiopulmonary Affection in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Abstract

Background; Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease that can affect any part of the body. Early detection and quantification of pathological changes are important for assessing the benefits of cardiopulmonary prevention in SLE management. Objective: The aim was to study the effect of SLE on cardiopulmonary system, and its early detection. Patients and Methods: Fifty patients were selected from those attending the outpatient clinics and inpatients who were admitted to Internal Medicine Department of Al-Azhar Assuit University Hospital, from May 2017 to May 2018, and fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 1982 revised criteria for classification of SLE. All patients were subjected to complete history taking, clinical examination, routine investigations, transthoracic echocardiography (Echo) and computed tomography (CT) of the chest. Results: The most common echo finding was pericardial effusion seen in 20 patients (40%), followed by mitral regurgitation in 14 patients (28%), mitral valve prolapse was seen in 13 patients (26%).The most common CT chest findings was ground glass opacity seen in 15 patients (30%) followed by pleural effusion seen in 14 patients (28%) and pleural thickening in 10 patients (20%). There was non- significant correlation between EF% and SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI), but a negative significant correlation between disease duration and EF% (p=0.02). Conclusion: All SLE patients even who have clinically inactive disease should be screened for the presence of structural cardiac and chest abnormalities. Echocardiography and CT chest can be helpful as a noninvasive diagnostic tool for early detection of such abnormalities