Cardiovascular Manifestations of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Practical Multimodality Imaging Approach

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Rheumatology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) significantly increases cardiovascular disease risk.
• Cardiovascular manifestations are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in SLE patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the clinical presentation and imaging features of cardiovascular manifestations in SLE.
• To discuss the role of multimodality cardiovascular imaging in SLE.
• To highlight imaging findings that guide management and risk stratification.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on cardiovascular manifestations in SLE.
• Discussion of echocardiography, cardiac MRI, CT, and nuclear imaging.
• Analysis of imaging findings for pericardial disease, myocarditis, CAD, and valvular disease.

Main Results:

• SLE patients exhibit diverse cardiac issues including pericardial, myocardial, coronary, and valvular disease.
• Each imaging modality (echo, MRI, CT, nuclear) has unique strengths and limitations for SLE cardiac assessment.
• Specific imaging findings can alter patient management and guide further testing.

Conclusions:

• Multimodality imaging is crucial for diagnosing and monitoring cardiac involvement in SLE.
• Optimized use of imaging can lead to earlier diagnosis and improved risk stratification.
• Integrated imaging strategies enhance targeted management of cardiovascular disease in SLE.