Large artery inflammation in systemic lupus erythematosus

A 23-year-old African-American woman with a history of recurrent pneumonias presented to the hospital with 2 weeks of shortness of breath, chest pain, fevers, and lightheadedness. The histologic diagnosis proved to be lupus aortitis. Optimal Framingham risk factor management by itself may not be a c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Lupus 2013-08, Vol.22 (9), p.953-956
Main Authors: Sokalski, DG, Spring, TR Copsey, Roberts, WN
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
African Americans
Aortitis - diagnosis
Aortitis - etiology
Aortitis - physiopathology
Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis - etiology
Atherosclerosis - prevention & control
Case reports
Coronary vessels
Creatinine
Female
Hospitals
Humans
Inflammation
Inflammation - diagnosis
Inflammation - etiology
Inflammation - physiopathology
Lupus
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - complications
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - diagnosis
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - physiopathology
Pneumonia
Pneumonia - diagnosis
Pneumonia - etiology
Recurrence
Rheumatic diseases
Rheumatology
Risk Factors
Streptococcus infections
Veins & arteries
Young Adult
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Summary:A 23-year-old African-American woman with a history of recurrent pneumonias presented to the hospital with 2 weeks of shortness of breath, chest pain, fevers, and lightheadedness. The histologic diagnosis proved to be lupus aortitis. Optimal Framingham risk factor management by itself may not be a completely successful approach in diminishing the extra risk of atherosclerosis conferred by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Therefore it remains possible that important modifiable cardiovascular risk factors may include low-grade SLE disease activity in medium-sized vessels. The implication of the idea that subclinical vessel inflammation is widespread in patients with lupus—and that this inflammation confers a significant part of the patients’ risk of accelerated atherosclerosis—might be a lowering of the threshold for aggressive disease-modifying treatment of lupus, essentially a “treat-to-target” approach to systemic lupus.
ISSN:0961-2033
1477-0962
DOI:10.1177/0961203313492241