Introduction:
Less than 10% of people
with vasculitis experience cardiac impairment; however, all primary
vasculitides can target the heart1. Regarding
antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis, both
granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GP), microscopic polyangiitis (MP),
and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) can affect any
cardiac tissue 1.
Among ANCA-associated vasculitis, EGPA is the one that most frequently
affects the heart 2. Nevertheless, in EGPA, cardiac
manifestations are more common in ANCA-negative patients. Eosinophilic
myocarditis is the most common, but restrictive or dilated
cardiomyopathy, pericarditis, coronary artery vasculitis, valvular
defects, rhythm disturbances, left ventricular dysfunction, and
intracardiac thrombosis, among other things, can also occur3. Heart involvement in GP and MP is seen in a small
percentage of patients, with pericarditis and supraventricular
arrhythmias being the most common cardiac manifestations, occurring in
1% to 6% of patients 1. Nevertheless, cardiac
thrombosis is a less frequent manifestation, occurring in less than 1%
of patients 1.