Two female patients with recent diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are reported. Pulmonary arterial hypertension was diagnosed by Doppler echocardiography. Immunosuppressive therapy was started at the time of diagnosis of SLE. After 2 months of therapy, Doppler echocardiography was repeated and the estimated pulmonary artery systolic pressure was substantially decreased from 78 to 42 mmHg and from 67 to 42 mmHg, respectively, along with significant improvement of the clinical conditions.
Mahowald ML, Weir EK, Ridley DJ, Messner RPPulmonary hypertension in systemic lupus erythematosus: effect of vasodilators on pulmonary hemodynamics. J Rheumatol1985 ; 12: 773-7.
4.
Weiner-Kronish JP, Solinger AM, Warnock ML, Churg A., Ordonez N., Golden JASevere pulmonary involvement in mixed connective tissue disease. Am Rev Respir Dis1981; 124: 499-503.
5.
Ungerer RG, Tashkin DP, Furst D. et al. Prevalence and clinical correlates of pulmonary arterial hypertension in progressive systemic sclerosis. Am J Med1983; 75: 65-74.
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Yock PG, Popp RLNon-invasive estimation of right ventricular systolic pressure by Doppler ultrasound in patients with tricuspid regurgitation. Circulation1984; 70: 657-62,
7.
Currie PJ, Seward JB, Chan KL et al. Continuous-wave Doppler determination of right ventricular pressure: a simultaneous Doppler-catheterization study in 127 patients. J Am Coll Cardiol1985; 6: 750-6.
