Echocardiographic abnormalities in a cohort of Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus--a retrospective analysis of eighty-five cases.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate echocardiographic abnormalities in a cohort of Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

METHODS: Eighty-five SLE patients who were hospitalized at our institution from January 2008 to June 2009 were included. Their clinical manifestations, electrocardiogram, chest x-ray, CT scan, and echocardiographic data were analyzed in relation to age, disease duration, and SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI).

RESULTS: Echocardiography showed abnormalities in 53 patients (62.35%), involving valves in 56.5% (n = 48), pericardium in 25.9%, left and right ventricle enlargement in 17.65% and 1.18%, respectively, and auricle in 10.59% and 1.18% of the patients, respectively. The left ventricle showed decreased compliance in 10.29%, impaired relaxation in 14.12%, and abnormal wall motion in 42.35% of the patients. Interventricular septum thickness, left ventricular posterior wall thickness, and isovolumic relaxation time were positively correlated with age (r = 0.42, 0.33, and 0.39, respectively, p < 0.01 for all variables), and disease duration (r = 0.22, 0.21, and 0.32, respectively; p < 0.05). Left atrial and ventricular size were correlated with age (r = 0.32 and 0.41, p > 0.01) and SLEDAI (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac, especially valvular abnormalities are common in SLE patients and increase with age and disease duration and activity. Inclusion of echocardiography in the clinical evaluation of SLE patients could help identify an important subset of patients with cardiac abnormalities.