Cardiac Manifestations in Iranian Patients with Behçet’s Disease

Soraya Shadmanfar; Maryam Masoumi; Fereydoun Davatchi; Massoomeh Akhlaghi; Seyedeh Tahereh Faezi; Hoda Kavosi; Javad Balasi; Niloofar Deravi; Seyed Mohammad Hashem Montazeri; Mansoor Namazi

doi:10.18502/jthc.v16i3.8187

Soraya Shadmanfar Health Research Center, Lifestyle Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Maryam Masoumi Clinical Research Development Center, Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran.
Fereydoun Davatchi Rheumatology Research Center, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Massoomeh Akhlaghi Rheumatology Research Center, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Seyedeh Tahereh Faezi Rheumatology Research Center, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Hoda Kavosi Rheumatology Research Center, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Javad Balasi School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Niloofar Deravi School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Seyed Mohammad Hashem Montazeri School of Medicine, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran.
Mansoor Namazi Clinical Research Development Center, Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jthc.v16i3.8187

Keywords: Behçet’s syndrome; Cardiovascular diseases; Iran

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 Behçet’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.