Our article refers to a 50-year-old woman with previously diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who presented with symptoms of dyspnea on exertion and dizziness. An echocardiogram revealed a 17-mm asymmetric interventricular septum hypertrophy and systolic anterior motion of the anterior mitral valve leaflet. Association of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HCM) with connective tissue diseases has been well documented. For RA the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system, particularly HLA-DR4, may possibly be a link between the two entities, as it is associated with both RA and HCM. Therefore, a patient with RA and suggestive history should be investigated for cardiac involvement. Further studies are needed to elucidate a more accurate association between the above diseases.
Keywords: autoimmune diseases; echocardiography; hla-dr antigens; hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy; rheumatoid arthritis.