ABDEL-MOHSEN NOMEIR, M.D.; ROBERT TURNER, M.D.; EARL WATTS, M.D.; DAVID SMITH, M.D.; GEORGE WEST, M.D.; JOHN EDMONDS, M.D., F.A.C.P.
The nature and extent of cardiac involvement in 30 patients with classic rheumatoid arthritis were studied. Physical examination showed no significant cardiac abnormalities in these patients. Electrocardiograms showed nonspecific ST-T-wave changes in six patients, left ventricular preponderance in two, and evidence of an old inferior myocardial infarction in one. Echocardiography demonstrated pericardial effusion, thickening, or both, in 14 patients (46.6%) and mitral valve abnormalities in 9 patients (30%). Vectorcardiography showed that the mean QRS voltage values in the patients with pericardial involvement were not significantly abnormal. This study has shown that a large number of rheumatoid arthritis patients have pericardial or mitral valve abnormalities, or both. Although there was no relation between the different modalities of study, echocardiography was the most sensitive method of detecting early cardiac involvement in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
NOMEIR A, TURNER R, WATTS E, SMITH D, WEST G, EDMONDS J. Cardiac Involvement in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Ann Intern Med. 1973;79:800–806. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-79-6-800
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Published: Ann Intern Med. 1973;79(6):800-806.
DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-79-6-800
Cardiology, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Rheumatology.
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