Asymptomatic pericardial effusion in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

To determine the frequency and clinical correlates of asymptomatic pericardial effusion (PE) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), echocardiography and electrocardiography were performed in 50 consecutive patients with SLE. Among 50 patients with SLE, 12 patients (24%) had PE and 17 patients (34%) had hypoalbuminaemia. Patients with PE had a significantly lower serum albumin (P < 0.001), higher incidence of proteinuria (P = 0.003), higher C-reactive protein (P = 0.036) and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (P = 0.011) and tended to have a higher incidence of PR-segment depression (P = 0.082) compared with those without PE. When four variables (PR-segment depression, C-reactive protein, serum albumin and pulmonary artery systolic pressure) were used in the multivariate analysis, serum albumin (P = 0.005, odds ratio = 0.016) and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (P = 0.010, odds ratio = 1.106) emerged as significant variables related to the occurrence of asymptomatic PE. Thus, an increase in hydrostatic pressure of the right heart cavities and a decrease in colloid osmotic pressure were important factors associated with the presence of asymptomatic PE in patients with SLE.