Avaliação da pericardite lúpica na emergência: uma revisão narrativa

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease associated with high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, in which pericardial involvement stands out as the most frequent cardiac manifestation. Lupus pericarditis and pericardial effusion may range from subclinical forms to cardiac tamponade, often in the setting of high disease activity and multisystem involvement, which makes early recognition particularly relevant in urgent and emergency care. The aim of this study is to review the literature on the assessment and stratification of lupus pericarditis in the emergency department, with a focus on clinical presentation, diagnostic methods, particularly point-of-care echocardiography, and implications for initial management. This is a narrative review based on a structured search of the PubMed/MEDLINE database between 2015 and 2025. The articles analyzed allow the conclusion that lupus pericarditis should be understood as a marker of higher cardiovascular risk and systemic disease activity, and that its structured assessment in the emergency setting is fundamental to reduce time to intervention when necessary and to indicate the need for intensification of immunosuppressive therapy or, when appropriate, to exclude differential diagnoses.