PREVALENCE AND SPECTRUM OF CARDIO–VASCULAR DISEASE IN LUPUS PATIENTS AND THEIR TREATMENT OUTCOMES.

Dr Amirtha Gopalan; Dr Geetha Ann Francis; Dr Felly Gomes; Dr Srilakhmi Adhyapak; Dr Vineeta Shobha

Volume : IX, Issue : VI, June - 2019

PREVALENCE AND SPECTRUM OF CARDIO–VASCULAR DISEASE IN LUPUS PATIENTS AND THEIR TREATMENT OUTCOMES.

Dr Amirtha Gopalan, Dr Geetha Ann Francis, Dr Felly Gomes, Dr Srilakhmi Adhyapak, Dr Vineeta Shobha

Abstract :

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has pleomorphic cardio–vascular manifesta–tions that may remain clinically silent. Our study aims to estimate the prevalence of clinically overt and silent cardiovascular abnormalities in known SLE patients and to describe the spectrum, using trans–thoracic echocardiography. This is an ambi–directional study in which 248 newly diagnosed SLE patients were sampled consecutively over 34 months. In 83 patients, a trans – thoracic ECHO was done at presentation as per clinical requirement. A follow–up ECHO after 6 months of treatment was done when feasible. Abnormalities in ECHO were found in 56 pa–tients, commonest being valvular lesions. These did not correlate with patient’s duration of illness, disease activity, antibody status. Follow–up ECHO showed improvement in ECHO parameters with immunosuppressive therapy. Cardio–vascular manifestations in SLE may not correlate with clinical presentation, hence a careful clinical scrutiny, followed by an ECHO when needed, will be ben–eficial.