DISSECTING AORTIC-ANEURYSM IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS

Many cardiovascular manifestations have been described in systemic lup us erythematosus (SLE). Aortic involvement, however, is very rare. We describe a 30-year-old woman with SLE who presented with extensive aor tic dissection, and review the few reported cases. We discuss possible pathogenic mechanisms for aortic involvement in lupus and the appropr iate diagnostic work-up.