Cardiac Manifestations in Iranian Patients With Behcet’S Disease Publisher



Shadmanfar S^{1, 3} ; Masoumi M^{2, 3} ; Davatchi F^{3, 4} ; Akhlaghi M³ ; Faezi ST³ ; Kavosi H³ ; Balasi J⁵ ; Deravi N⁶ ; Montazeri SMH⁷ ; Namazi M² Show Affiliations
Source: Journal of Tehran University Heart Center Published:2021

Abstract

Background: Behcet’s disease (BD) is a vasculitis with multisystem and multiorgan involvement. Cardiac involvement in BD is a rare complication with a poor outcome that manifests itself in different forms. In this study, we aimed to investigate cardiac involvement in BD. Methods: This is a retrospective study based on cardiac manifestations in BD according to the data of the Behcet’s Disease Unit, the Rheumatology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, from registered patients from 1975 until June 2017. Cardiac manifestations consisted of pericarditis, myocardiopathy, myocardial infarction, stable ischemic heart disease, endomyocardial fibrosis, thrombosis, and valvular and coronary involvement. All the patients’ baseline and demographic data were recorded in a designed questionnaire. The laboratory workups, imaging, and pathological tests were also performed. Results: We studied 7650 patients with BD, of whom 51% were male. In the entire study population, 47 patients manifested cardiac involvement: valvular involvement in 6.1%, myocardial infarction in 23.4%, stable ischemic heart disease in 20%, pericarditis in 21.3%, intracardiac thrombosis in 2.1%, coronary aneurysm in 2.1%, heart failure in 12.8%, and dilated cardiomyopathy in 4.3%. Conclusion: The prevalence of cardiac involvement in our patients with BD was 0.6%. A multidisciplinary approach can reduce mortality and morbidity rates. Consequently, we suggest that echocardiography and other cardiac diagnostic tests be routinely considered for early diagnosis and subsequent treatment. © 2021 Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.