Key result
Steroids plus hydroxychloroquine induce symptom remission and reverse echo changes in constrictive pericarditis.
Why the study?
Constrictive pericarditis is a rare cardiac manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus and its occurrence as an initial presentation without prior acute pericarditis episodes is rarely reported.
Case Report (n=1)
Case success warrants caution against generalizing; leaves open whether this regimen benefits broader constrictive pericarditis populations.
A young female presented with new-onset rash, oral ulcers and dyspnea without overt features of heart failure. She was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus with early constrictive pericarditis, cutaneous lupus and serositis in the form of pericardial and pleural effusion. There was no renal, neurological and joint involvement. She was treated with steroid pulse and other ancillary drugs that led to remission with improvement in the symptoms and reversal of echocardiographic changes of constrictive pericarditis. Oral steroids were successfully tapered off after four months, and only hydroxychloroquine was continued. Constrictive pericarditis is an uncommon feature of lupus and its occurrence as an initial manifestation, without a history of repeated episodes of acute pericarditis, is rarely reported.
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Gupta et al. (2020) conducted a case report in Systemic lupus erythematosus with early constrictive pericarditis (n=1). Corticosteroids and hydroxychloroquine was evaluated on Symptomatic and echocardiographic improvement. Corticosteroid and hydroxychloroquine therapy successfully induced remission of symptoms and reversed echocardiographic changes in a 20-year-old woman presenting with constrictive pericarditis.
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