RESUMO
Various pathophysiologic mechanisms may account for lupus-induced myocardial injury. Understanding the distinctions in the underlying disease process helps recognize variable clinical presentations and implement appropriate therapies. This report describes lupus-induced myocardial injury in three men less than 40 years old with diverse pathophysiologic mechanisms and presentations including acute myopericarditis with microvascular obstruction, acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and chronic myocarditis with systolic heart failure. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) helped define the mechanism of disease, which included evidence of coronary microvascular obstruction in a patient without epicardial coronary artery disease. These findings highlight the cardiovascular effects of lupus, reveal coronary microvascular obstruction as potential consequence of acute myocarditis, and demonstrate the application of CMR in assessing the extent of disease.
