[Echopolycardiography in the detection of cardiac lesions in rheumatoid polyarthritis]

In order to verify the extent and the frequency of cardiac complications in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the authors performed mechanophonocardiographic studies and simultaneous mono- and bi-dimensional echocardiography in 28 patients with RA, 2 men and 26 women aged between 38 and 65 (mean = 51) (history of the disease ranging from 1 to 37 years). One case showed an increase in the PEP:LVET ratio on the polycardiogram and 18 cases showed echocardiographic alterations (64.3%), in particular: pericardial effusion in 6 cases (21.4%), thickening of the epicardium and the pericardium in 4 cases (14.3%), alterations in the mitral valve (reduction in the protodiastolic closing velocity of the anterior edge of the large mitral valve) in 10 cases (35.7%) and thickening of the interventricular septum in 5 cases (17.9%). These examinations are therefore good indicators of the cardiac complications of rheumatoid disease and allow a group of patients to be identified who would not otherwise be detectable. These patients can be followed up subsequently, in the light of the positive correlation between echocardiographic alterations and the duration and severity of the disease. The authors conclude that simultaneous mono-and bi-dimensional echocardiography represents the optimal investigation for defining the nature, the severity and the frequency of rheumatoid cardiac abnormalities.