Last update:
20-Sep-2007

The rheumatic diseases are a protein group of illnesses the manifestations of which primarily involve the bones, joints, and connective tissues. As there is no unifying pathogenesis for this group of illnesses, there is no single pathobiological mechanism to explain the cardiac manifestations of each disease. Systemic rheumatic diseases may affect the cardiovascular system (pericardium, myocardium, endocardium, coronary arteries and aorta) in distinct patterns. Cardiac involvement usually complicates the course of rheumatic disorders but occasionally cardiovascular involvement constitutes the initial manifestation of the systemic disease. In this review the cardiovascular complications of the most common rheumatic diseases (systemic lupus erythematosus, polyarteritis nodosa, systemic sclerosis, polymyositis and dermatomyositis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter's syndrome, Takayasu's arteritis and temporal arteritis) are presented, along with brief accounts of their treatment.

Key words: Cardiovascular system, Complications, Management, Systemic rheumatic disorders.