[Cardiovascular involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus: report of two cases].

Cardiac abnormalities has been receiving increased attention in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Cardiovascular system involvement has been found to have a substantial effect on mortality and morbidity in patients with SLE [1]. Recent diagnostic methods using echocardiography examination have allowed the delineation of cardiac manifestations such as myocarditis and myocardial dysfunction, valvular disease, pericardial disease or pulmonary hypertension. A report of two cases is presented: 23-year-old man with acute myocarditis with left ventricular failure and pulmonary oedema as a initial presentation of active SLE, and 51-year-old woman with SLE, antiphospholipid antibodies, with history of cerebral embolic infarction, TIA and venous thrombosis and with mitral valvular dysfunction in course of nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis. Pulmonary hypertension has been recognised in both patients probably as a result of vasculaopathy and intimal proliferation, vasculitis, thromboembolic disease or parenchymal lung disease in SLE. Recent advances in diagnosis and treatment have substantially improved the prognosis of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and cardiovascular system involvement [2].