Abstract
Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune inflammatory disorder that affects many organs including the cardiovascular system. It involves pericardium, myocardium, endocardium, cardiac valves, and coronary vessels. Several autopsy series have shown an incidence of cardiac lesions of 48% to 74% but documentation of such lesions during life is rare. With increasing use of two-dimensional echocardiography and the Doppler technique, cardiac lesions are increasingly being detected in the living population with systemic lupus erythematosus. A higher association has been seen between antibodies against phospholipids and cardiac valvular abnormalities but there are few prospective data on their role in the development of cardiovascular abnormalities.
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