A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY OF CARDIAC INVOLVEMENT IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS IN AN TERTIARY CARE CENTRE WITH EMPHASIS ON 2-D ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY

Abstract

Introduction: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune inammatory rheumatologic disease. Its exact etiology is unknown and it can affect several organs—including skin, joints, kidneys, and many other organs. One of the organs reported to be involved in SLE is heart.1 The American Heart Association includes patients with SLE, especially women, as a high-risk group for cardiovascular diseases. Objectives: Find out cardiac involvement in patients of SLE. There is any relationship of cardiac involvement with the disease activity of SLE (SLEDAI-2K) Material And Methodology: Study Design: An observational cross-sectional study. Study settings and timeline: An 18 months Hospital Based study. Place of study: Department of General Medicine, RGKMCH. Period of study: 18 Months, from January 2018 to June 2019. Study population: The patients admitted in inpatients wards of Department of General Medicine and also OPD patients of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital who will fulll the inclusion criteria. Results And Analysis: In patients with active disease, 29(53.7%) patients had rst presentation. 25(46.3%) patients had rst presentation but disease activity was low. Association of rst presentation with disease activity was statistically signicant (p=0.0000406378). In patients with active disease, 36(66.7%) patients had cardiac involvement in any form. In patients with low disease activity, 11(50.0%) patients had cardiac involvement. Association of cardiac involvement with disease activity was not statistically signicant (p=0.2730132774). Out of total 47 patients with cardiac involvement, 27(57.4%) patients had pericardial involvement. Summary And Conclusion: Cardiac involvement is frequently seen in systemic lupus erythematosus patients, 61.8% in our study. Pericardium, myocardium, endocardium all can be involved in SLE. Pericardium is most commonly involved. Pulmonary hypertension, valvular abnormality, diastolic dysfunction, systolic dysfunction all are found in SLE. Echocardiography is an non –invasive excellent tool to evaluate the SLE patients for any cardiac involvement and serial screening of the patients. All cardiac manifestations are observed in active SLE patients in higher frequency but only pericardial involvement with disease activity is statistically signicant.