Cardiac involvement in primary sjogren's syndrome patients detected with echocardiography

ABSTRACT

To determine a pattern of cardiac involvement in primary Sjogren's syndrome patients and to evaluate these cardiac abnormalities in asymptomatic patients. The study was carried out on 20 primary Sjogren's syndrome patients [PSS] as well as 10 healthy controls matched in age and sex. None of the patients had evidence of cardiac symptoms. All subjects had complete history, clinical examination, laboratory tests [Rh F, ANA and anti Ro and anti La], chest X-ray, ECG and echocardiography. Cardiac abnormalities were detected in 7 [35%] primary Sjogren's syndrome patients out of 20 [PSS] patients examined with echocardiography. Seven [35%] presented with left ventricle diastolic dysfunction and 6 [30%] presented with pulmonary hypertension but only [15%] showed left ventricle hypertrophy, there were 2 patients with mitral regurge and only 1 patient with mitral stenosis and prolapse and also, 1 [5%] presented with aortic regurge and 1 [5%] patient by tricuspid regurge. There was significant difference between PSS patients and control subjects as regards to diastolic functions [E peak, A peak, E/A and DFT] and there was no correlation between the occurrence of these silent cardiac abnormalities and the clinical and laboratory findings. Cardiac involvement is common in PSS but clinically with silent manifestations. Thus, echocardiography should be done for all patients with PSS to detect any cardiac abnormalities