Echocardiographic abnormalities in ankylosing spondylitis

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Rheumatology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease primarily affecting the axial skeleton.
• Cardiac involvement in AS, particularly aortic valve disease, can be a serious complication.
• Early detection of cardiac abnormalities is crucial for managing AS patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the prevalence of cardiac disease in patients with long-standing ankylosing spondylitis.
• To investigate the utility of Doppler echocardiography in detecting subclinical cardiac abnormalities in AS.
• To identify clinical factors associated with cardiac involvement in AS.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-four patients with AS (disease duration ≥10 years) underwent cardiac assessment.
• Cardiac evaluation included clinical examination, electrocardiography, and Doppler echocardiography.
• A control group matched for age and sex was used for comparison.

Main Results:

• Seven patients (29%) exhibited evidence of cardiac disease.
• Findings included pericardial effusion, conduction abnormalities, and aortic incompetence.
• Doppler echocardiography detected clinically silent aortic incompetence and a novel finding of posterior aortic wall thickening in one AS patient.
• Patients with cardiac abnormalities were older, had longer disease duration, and more peripheral joint disease.

Conclusions:

• Cardiac disease is prevalent in patients with long-term ankylosing spondylitis.
• Doppler echocardiography is effective in identifying early-stage cardiac involvement, including subclinical aortic valve disease.
• Age, disease duration, and peripheral joint involvement may be associated with increased cardiac risk in AS.