Cardiac manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus patients

The present study was performed on twenty-five SLE patients. They were classified according to Doppler Echocardiographic findings into 2 groups: Group I: included 17 patients [68%] [15F, 2M] who had cardiac affection. Their disease duration ranged from 6 months to 10 years while the range of SLEDAI score was 4-22 with a mean of 10.6 +/- 5.3. Group II: included 8 females without cardiac affection. The range of disease duration was from 8 months to 6 years while SLEDAI score ranged from 4 to 21 with a mean of 11.1 +/- 6.02. There was a statistical significant difference between the 2 groups [p<0.05] as regards arthritis, fever and CNS symptoms that were present in 2 patients of group II only. Also there were significant differences between the two groups [p<0.05] as regards the ESR, anti-DNA and lupus anticoagulant. But lipograms did not show any statistical difference between both groups [p>0.05]. There was a direct correlation between pericarditis and disease activity and anti-DNA titer, as well as a significant positive correlation between valvular affection and lupus anticoagulants but a negative correlation between systolic function and activity as well as anti-DNA titer. Lastly, no significant correlation was found between cardiac involvement and the duration of the disease or duration of steroid therapy used or with lipograms. So Doppler-Echocardiography was helpful in showing that cardiac involvement was frequent in SLE patients especially during disease activity. Again, lupus anticoagulant [LAC] is common is SLE with cardiac involvement. So cardiovascular system must be investigated well especially in patients with positive LAC for the importance of planning therapy and assessment of prognosis

Detection of joint affection with magnetic resonance imaging in early rheumatoid arthritis

This study was conducted on 20 patients with early rheumatoid arthritis with disease duration less than one year in order to detect early joint changes by using Magnetic Resonance Imaging [M R I] for the wrist, hand and knee. At the same time patients had: 1- Full clinical assessment with stress on swollen joint count, pain score, Ritchie articular index. 2-Standard laboratory investigations including C.B.C, ESR, CRP and RF. 3- Plain X-rays on the same joints for all patients. From our results we could find that a high proportion of patients with early rheumatoid arthritis develop joint changes which can be detected with MRI in the absence of significant clinical symptoms or radiological signs in the examined joints. So MRI is useful as an early indicator to determine the patients who require aggressive treatment early to guard against poor out come of the disease