Evaluation of cardiac function in SLE using radionuclide ventriculography

Purpose: To evaluate the left ventricular function of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients by equilibrium radionuclide ventriculography. Methods: 20 normal controls and 30 SLE patients were studied by gated cardiac blood pool imaging and gated myocardial imaging and the left ventricular systolic and diastolic parameters were analysed. Results: The LVEF, SH, PER and PFR of 30 SLE patients were 0.52 +- 0.11, 60.89 +- 12.12 degree, 3.08 +- 0.48 EDV/s and 2.88 +- 0.47EDV/s. While those parameters of 20 normal controls were 0.68 +- 0.02, 53.25 +- 5.26 degree, 3.66 +- 0.51 EDV/s and 3.34 +- 0.88 EDV/s, respectively. The parameters of systolic and diastolic function were significantly lower in patients than those in controls (t 4.50, 3.11, 5.80 and 4.60, P<0.01). Conclusions: The cardiac function of SLE patients was lower (poorer) as compared with that of normal population. Radionuclide ventriculography is useful to evaluating cardiac function in SLE patients and thereby helps with the diagnosis of the myocardial damage in the disease and guides the treatment of it