SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS (SLE)-HEART & LUNGS

SUMMARY

1. Lung disease in lupus can manifest as pleuritic chest pain +/- effusion (most common), alveolar infiltrates, pneumonitis (with subsequent fibrosis and pulmonary arterial hypertension), and alveolar hemorrhagea - medical emergency.

2. The Framingham Offspring Study revealed that women ages 35-44 with SLE have a 50-fold increase in AMI.

3. Others: pericarditis (most common), myocarditis, & Libman-Sacks endocarditis (sterile fibrinous vegetations that can mimic IE).

Reference(s)

Wilkinson, I. (2017). Oxford handbook of clinical medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hannaman, R. A., Bullock, L., Hatchell, C. A., & Yoffe, M. (2016). Internal medicine review core curriculum, 2017-2018. CO Springs, CO: MedStudy.
Therapeutic Guidelines. Melbourne: Therapeutic Guidelines Limited. https://www.tg.org.au [Accessed 2021].