Cardiac pathology of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a common chronic autoimmune disorder causing injury to many organ systems. Cardiac complications of lupus affect most parts of the heart. These include pericarditis, myocarditis, endocarditis and coronary artery disease. While many histopathological findings in lupus-related cardiac diseases are non-specific, there are a few important findings which pathologists should be aware of. This review provides pathological descriptions of these entities.