[Abnormal findings of cardiac function in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (author's transl)].
To find out the rate of cardiac involvement among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 34 patients with SLE were examined by ECG, x-ray of the chest, body plethysmography, one- and two-dimensional echocardiography In addition, in 23 patients with SLE a microcatheterization of the right heart side was undertaken with measuring of the mean pulmonary artery pressure and cardiac index during exercise. Echocardiography revealed moderate abnormal findings in 62% of the patients. In particular, there was a thickening of the interventricular septum (31%), an enlargement of the right ventricle (23%), a diminution of the left ventricular fractional shortening (16%), an augmentation of the left atrium (10%) and of the left ventricle (6%). A small pericardial effusion was observed in 6% and a thickening of the left ventricular posterior wall in 3%. At micro-catheterization in 19 out of 23 patients with SLE, there was an increase of the mean pulmonary artery pressure up to abnormal values. In 5 patients, mean pulmonary pressure rose over 40 mm Hg. Most of the patients also showed an increase of the arterial pressure up to pathological values. Furthermore, most of the patients finished exercise because of muscular insufficiency or dyspnoea. Only 4 of 23 patients with SLE reached 90% of the age-corresponding maximal heart rate. The results indicate that with about 80% of all patients with SLE the cardiac capacity is reduced. In about 20% of the patients with SLE, this diminution of cardiac capacity is severe, and the necessity of medical treatment has to be discussed.