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Published on: February 3, 2014
Assessment of pulmonary artery wall thickness by transthoracic echocardiography in Behçet's disease
Gizem Kırmızıer1, Elif Altunel Kılınç1, Gizem Varkal1
1Department of Rheumatology, Çukurova University Faculty of Medicine, Adana, Turkey.
Objectives:
Vascular inflammation is a key feature of Behçet's disease (BD), with studies showing increased vein wall thickness. The pulmonary artery, sharing structural features with veins, is of particular importance in BD. This study aimed to assess pulmonary artery wall thickness (PAWT) using transthoracic echocardiography and examine its association with disease manifestations, including major organ involvement (MOI) and mucocutaneous-limited disease (MLD), in comparison to healthy controls (HCs).
Methods:
This cross-sectional study included 67 patients with BD (43 with MOI, 24 with MLD) and 46 HCs. PAWT was measured from the middle of the pulmonary valve and pulmonary artery bifurcation in the parasternal short axis by an experienced cardiologist blinded to clinical data.
Results:
PAWT was significantly higher in patients with BD (3.5 ± 0.9 mm) than in HCs (2.7 ± 0.5 mm) (P < .001). Patients with MOI had significantly greater thickness than those with MLD and HCs (3.9 ± 0.7, 2.7 ± 0.6, 2.7 ± 0.5 mm, respectively; P < .001). The increase in thickness was most pronounced in patients with vascular involvement (P = .03).
Conclusions:
PAWT is greater in BD with MOI. Routine measurement may help detect vascular complications.
