Rapid appearance of severe mitral regurgitation under high-dosage corticosteroid therapy in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus

Survival of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus has increasedwith corticosteroid therapy. However, adverse effects of corticosteroidtherapy on cardiovascular structures, such as scarring and shrinkingof affected valves, are not well known. We report the case ofa 19-year-old patient who developed severe mitral insufficiencywithin a few weeks after high-dosage corticosteroid therapyhad been instituted for an acute relapse of systemic lupus erythematosus.The rapid development of severe mitral regurgitation was documentedby sequential colour Doppler echocardiography.