SEVERE LUPUS WITH INFECTIOUS THYROIDITIS AND LETHAL CARDIOMYOPATHY

Clinical cardiomyopathy is an uncommon complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and intracavitary thrombosis is rare. We describe a patient with active SLE who developed rapidly progressive cardiomyop athy, the fatal course of which was complicated by an intracavitary th rombus. Repeat cardiac echography studies and the endomyocardial biops y proved to be helpful in diagnosing the lupus myocarditis and aided t he regulation of therapy. Furthermore, the patient presented an acute suppurative thyroiditis never before described, to our knowledge, in S LE.