RT Book, Section
A1 Roldan, Carlos A.
A2 Crawford, Michael H.
SR Print(0)
ID 1139748186
T1 Connective Tissue Diseases & the Heart
T2 CURRENT Diagnosis & Treatment: Cardiology, 5e
YR 2017
FD 2017
PB McGraw-Hill Education
PP New York, NY
SN 9781259641251
LK accesscardiology.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1139748186
RD 2024/04/19
AB The  connective  tissue  diseases  are  immune-mediated  inflammatory  diseases,  primarily  of  the  musculoskeletal  system;  however,  they  frequently  also  involve  the  cardiovascular  system.  The  most  important  of  these  diseases  are  systemic  lupus  erythematosus,  rheumatoid  arthritis,  scleroderma,  ankylosing  spondylitis,  polymyositis/dermatomyositis,  and  mixed  connective  tissue  disease.  They  affect  the  valve  leaflets,  coronary  arteries,  pericardium,  myocardium,  conduction  system,  and  great  vessels  with  different  rates  of  prevalence  and  degrees  of  severity.  Although  heart  involvement  in  patients  with  connective  tissue  diseases  contributes  significantly  to  their  morbidity  and  mortality  rates,  there  is  a  large  discrepancy  between  clinically  recognized  heart  disease,  echocardiography  studies,  and  postmortem  series.  Furthermore,  their  pathogenesis  and  natural  history  are  still  incompletely  understood,  and  their  therapy  is  not  yet  standardized.  Increased  awareness  and  better  understanding  of  the  cardiovascular  diseases  associated  with  connective  tissue  diseases  may  lead  to  earlier  recognition  and  treatment  with  consequent  decreased  morbidity  and  mortality.  Finally  and  of  importance,  patients  with  connective  tissue  diseases  and  associated  heart  disease  should  be  managed  by  both  cardiologists  and  rheumatologists  given  the  potential  morbidity  and  mortality  of  their  heart  disease  and  the  complexity  and  potential  harm  of  their  pharmacotherapy.