Jeanne - bundle branch blocks and more

[Guest guest]

Jeanne,

No end to excitement for you! Try not to worry. Wait until after the

echocardiogram and the cardiologist's take on all of this before

wondering too much about your heart. I'm glad your doctor is taking your

complaints seriously enough to investigate though. That's half the

battle!

For a really excellent explanation of bundle branch blocks, see:

http://heartdisease.about.com/library/weekly/aa020101a.htm

Here's another link on RBBB:

http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8059/8481/301125.html

Apparently, bundle branch blocks can occur for many reasons, but a

right-sided bundle branch block is usually more likely to be benign than

one on the left.

Conduction defects like bundle branch blocks can occur in both lupus and

RA.

I know all of this is overwhelming. Your doctors are working to sort

things out. The list of possibilities of what could be wrong may be

fairly long. Symptoms like yours - a bundle branch block, joint

problems, chest/rib pain, and scleritis - may not be due to lupus or RA.

It could be Lyme disease, for example. Sometimes it takes awhile to come

to the right conclusion. Hang in there! Better to take more time and get

the right diagnosis.

The heart and lupus:

http://www.hamline.edu/lupus/articles/Cardiopulmonary_Disease_and_Lupus.html

http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH?t=333 & st=333 & r=EMIHC000 & c=210793

http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/lupus/lupusguide/chp4.htm#chp4_car

http://www.acticard.org/about.htm#V

The heart and RA:

http://www.fpnotebook.com/RHE108.htm

http://www.allaboutarthritis.com/arthritis.cfm/news/18

" Rheumatoid arthritis involves the heart in 20 to 40% of severe chronic

cases. The typical finding is pericarditis, marked by a mixture of

fibrin and necrotic debris derived from pericardial rheumatoid

granulomas. This may progress to form dense, fibrous, and potentially

restrictive adhesions. Less frequently, granulomatous rheumatoid nodules

occur in the myocardium, endocardium, aortic root, or valves, where they

are particularly damaging. Rheumatoid valvulitis can produce changes

similar to those seen in rheumatic heart disease, but classically

without commissural fusion. "

Source:

http://web.mit.edu/hst.090/www/2002/lectures/2-20-02_SchoenMuscularPath.htm

Thanks so much for the birthday wishes. Try not to worry, and please

keep us updated.

[ ] (unknown)

> Hi!

> I went to my PCP yesterday since I've been having pains in my ribs

> and under my left breast bone. I don't see the Rheumy til June, and I

> wanted to tell a doctor! She was concerned and ran an EKG. It

> revealed a common finding called a Right Branch Bundle Block (RBBB).

> She said not to be overly concerned--not dangerous--but to get an

> echocardiogram done. So, I'm having one done Thursday morning at a

> cardiologist's office. How common would this be in Lupus or RA? I am

> wondering if it doesn't tie in with my other symptoms? She took 10

> vials of blood from me to run the complement tests, DNA(DS) and ENA AB

> (SM/RNP, SS-A & SS-B. I can get the results on May 28th when I meet

> with her next. Thanks , for all of your great articles and links!

> You have been so helpful! And happy belated birthday!!

>

> Smiles,

> Jeanne in Ohio