Lupus valvulitis is a rare cardiac manifestation of active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and is defined by inflammation of one or more cardiac valves. It is often associated with Libman-Sacks endocarditis, which is characterized by the presence of sterile vegetations on the heart valves.

An observational cohort study was started in Toronto by Dr. Murray Urowitz in 1970. The program was set up as a specialized clinic to provide care for patients with lupus, to study clinical laboratory correlations in the disease, and to better understand long-term outcomes of the disease. What have we learned from more than 50 years of follow-up of patients with lupus? Some of the important observations include the following.