Why the study?
Pulmonary hypertension is a severe complication in systemic lupus erythematosus driving morbidity and mortality, prompting evaluation of transthoracic echocardiography for detection and clinical predictors of adverse outcomes.
Does transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) effectively detect and risk-stratify pulmonary hypertension in adult patients with systemic lupus erythematosus?
Observational (n=60)
Does transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) effectively detect and risk-stratify pulmonary hypertension in adult patients with systemic lupus erythematosus?
Transthoracic echocardiography identifies a high prevalence of right ventricular dilatation and systolic dysfunction in SLE patients with suspected pulmonary hypertension, supporting its utility for non-invasive screening and risk stratification.
Background: Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) represents one of the most formidable cardiovascular complications in the natural history of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), acting as a potent driver of both morbidity and premature attrition. Objective: The primary objective of this investigation is to rigorously evaluate the diagnostic efficacy and clinical utility of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) as a non-invasive surrogate for the detection of PH within a well-characterized cohort of patients with SLE and clinical predictors associated with adverse outcomes in this population. Methods: This prospective observational study included 60 adult SLE patients with echocardiographically suspected pulmonary hypertension. All patients underwent thorough clinical, laboratory, and standardized echocardiographic assessments, encompassing systematic measurements of pulmonary artery pressure and right ventricular (RV) size and function. Results: In our study, the mean estimated systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP) was 54.8 ±10.6 mmHg. Right-ventricular (RV) dilatation was identified in 63.3% of patients, while 61.7% exhibited RV systolic dysfunction. Pericardial effusion was observed in 30% of the cohort. Conclusion: Transthoracic echocardiography represents a reliable and noninvasive tool for screening, assessing disease severity, and providing prognostic stratification in patients with SLE who are suspected of having pulmonary hypertension.
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Mady et al. (2026) conducted an observational in Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with suspected pulmonary hypertension (n=60). Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) was evaluated on Echocardiographic measurements of pulmonary artery pressure and right ventricular size and function.
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