[Prevalence of XXXX in subjects with @entity309 : an echocardiographic study].

@entity2294 @entity1 @entity309 @entity299
We used echocardiography to determine the prevalence of @entity2294 in @entity309 ( @entity309 ) @entity1 without cardiac systems and compared our results to those obtained in a control group of age-matched subjects. Thirty-six @entity1 with @entity309 (6 @entity1 , 30 @entity1 ; mean age 51 +/- 11 years) were selected from a @entity1 population in treatment at our outpatient Rheumatology Clinic. None of the @entity1 had any symptoms of @entity299 , and all @entity1 with signs and/or systems of extracardiac disease were excluded from the study. The control group consisted of 60 volunteers (mean age 51 +/- 12 years) randomly selected from a larger group of subjects with neither symptoms, signs and/or clinical findings of extracardiac disease nor symptoms of @entity299 . Standard two-dimensional and M-mode echocardiography was carried out on all subjects. In the @entity309 @entity1 , we found a high prevalence of @entity2294 , especially minimal @entity2294 . There was no statistically significant difference among subgroups of @entity309 @entity1 based on stage and duration of disease respectively. There was no correlation between @entity2294 and inflammatory indexes or drug therapy. The minimal @entity2294 found in our @entity1 could be caused by the extra-articular inflammatory process and might be one aspect of a more complex picture characterized by silent cardiac involvement. The potential for symptomless pericardial alterations documented in our @entity1 indicates that careful cardiac evaluation should be given high priority in the assessment and management of subjects with @entity309 .
