Superiority of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging over echocardiography in early detection of subclinical cardiac abnormalities in systemic lupus erythematosus patients

摘要

BackgroundCardiovascular disease (CVD) has become increasingly recognized as a cause of mortality, especially in patients with long-standing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).Aim of the workTo detect subclinical cardiac involvement and its relation to clinical characteristics, disease activity and damage.Patients and methodsTransthoracic echocardiography (TTE) was performed in 36 SLE patients. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) sections were obtained. T1-weighted inversion recovery scout images were obtained after injection of gadolinium.ResultsThirty-six patients were included with a mean age of 32.4?±?8.5?years; 35 females and 1 male; with disease duration of 7.9?±?5?years. The frequent cardiac presentations on TTE were tricuspid regurgitation (TR) (41.6%), mitral regurgitation (MR) (36.1%), mitral thickening (25%), early diastolic mitral flow/mitral flow during atrial contraction (E/A)?