Dilated cardiomyopathy complicated by an intracavitary thrombus and acute heart failure: A rare presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus

INTRODUCTION: Cardiac manifestations during systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are diverse and often have major prognostic consequences. Lupus cardiomyopathy is an uncommon event in the course of SLE and initial clinical manifestation as decompensated dilated cardiomyopathy is very rare. CASE REPORT: we report the case of a 52-years-old female who presented with acute onset decompensated dilated cardiomyopathy as the initial feature of SLE. The diagnosis was based on clinical, electrocardiographic, angiographic and biochemical characteristics. CONCLUSION: Although rare, SLE cardiomyopathy deserves the attention due to its infrequent clinical presentation. It is a complex disease that requires prompt investigation and treatment, otherwise the damage is unrecoverable.