Dilated cardiomyopathy: An unusual and severe condition in juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus

Background

Systemic juvenile lupus erythematosus can affect any organ including the heart. While pericarditis and endocarditis are the most common cardiac complications, dilated cardiomyopathy remains rare. We report the full recovery of dilated cardiomyopathy in a girl with juvenile lupus.

Case presentation

A 7-year-old girl presented with persistent fever, weight loss, alopecia, positive anti-lupus antibodies, and decreased complement. Examination found dyspnea, tachycardia, and hypotension. Chest X-ray revealed an enlarged cardiac silhouette, and echocardiography showed a left ventricular ejection fraction of 35%. After excluding other causes, systemic lupus erythematosus related dilated cardiomyopathy was selected. Heart failure treatment, Prednisone, and hydroxychloroquine were prescribed. On day three, she developed macrophage activation syndrome which responded to methylprednisolone boluses. Clinical and biological improvement was observed after 4 weeks, normalization of echocardiography after 4 months.

Conclusion

A review of the literature confirmed the rare and severe nature of dilated cardiomyopathy in juvenile lupus emphasizing the importance of performing echocardiography at the slightest cardiac sign.

P049 Comparison between the ACR 1997, SLICC 2012 and EULAR/ACR 2019 classification criteria in juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus

Background

Juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus is a multisystem inflammatory autoimmune disease affecting patients under 16 years old. Diagnosis may be difficult because of the large clinical heterogeneity. Classification criteria are important to ensure a clear definition and consistent inclusion of patients in clinical trials. The objective of the work: is to Compare the performance of the classification criteria of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR 1997), those of the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC 2012) and the new classification criteria together with the European League Against Rheumatism “EULAR” and the American College of Rheumatology “ACR” (EULAR/ACR 2019).

Methods

This is a cross-sectional retrospective study carried out in a tertiary care service over a period of one year, from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020. The patients were subjected to the different classification criteria ACR 1997, SLICC 2012 and EULAR/ACR 2019. All our patients were matched in age and sex with control cases followed for inflammatory disease (12 control cases).

Results

Six patients were diagnosed with juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSL) over the period of our study. A clear predominance of women was noted with a sex ratio of 5 girls/1 boy. The mean age at the time of diagnosis was 9 years (extremes: 3 –12 years). The diagnosis was made after an average delay of 5 months (extremes: 1–12 months). All of our patients met the three classification criteria. Sensitivity to all criteria was noted at diagnosis and during the first months of follow-up with higher sensitivity for SLICC criteria. Regarding the control cases, 3 patients met the ACR 1997 criteria.

Conclusion

In this population of Juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus, the SLICC criteria gave the best results in terms of sensitivity and precision at the time of diagnosis and during the first months of follow-up, while the ACR 1997 criteria were less specific.