PULMONARY ARTERIAL-HYPERTENSION RESPONSIVE TO IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE THERAPY IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS

Two female patients with recent diagnosis of systemic lupus erythemato sus (SLE) are reported. Pulmonary arterial hypertension was diagnosed by Doppler echocardiography. Immunosuppressive therapy was started at the time of diagnosis of SLE. After 2 months of therapy, Doppler echoc ardiography was repeated and the estimated pulmonary artery systolic p ressure was substantially decreased from 78 to 42 mmHg and from 67 to 42 mmHg, respectively, along with significant improvement of the clini cal conditions.