ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Cardiac involvement in SSc is characterized by myocardial fibrosis, arrhythmias and pericarditis. Prevalence studies have shown variable results. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of cardiac involvement in SSc patients using the non-invasive, highly sensitive diagnostic methods of cardiac MRI and coronary angiotomography. METHODS: We included 62 SSc patients and excluded those with heart disease prior to the onset of SSc, renal failure, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidaemia, arterial hypertension, untreated thyroid disease, cor pulmonale, pregnancy or contraindications to performing cardiac MRI. All underwent clinical and laboratory evaluation, ECG, coronary angiotomography and cardiac MRI. RESULTS: The prevalence of myocardial fibrosis was 45% and was higher in dcSSc (59%) than in lcSSc patients (33%; P = 0.04). The mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was lower in patients with myocardial fibrosis (56%) than in those without fibrosis (63%; P = 0.0009); myocardial fibrosis on MRI was more frequent in the basal-septal segments of the LV. Seventy-nine per cent of patients had subendocardial perfusion defects and these were associated with higher ultrasensitive serum CRP values. There was no association of myocardial fibrosis or microvascular damage with atherosclerosis. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of myocardial fibrosis on MRI attributable to SSc is 45%, is more frequent and severe in dcSSc patients, is associated with lower LVEF and affects mainly basal LV walls. Microvascular damage in SSc is common and is associated with elevated ultrasensitive CRP levels. Cardiac damage due to SSc is not associated with coronary artery disease.
Subject(s)
Coronary Artery Disease/diagnosis , Microvessels/pathology , Myocardium/pathology , Scleroderma, Diffuse/diagnosis , Scleroderma, Limited/diagnosis , Adult , Cardiac Imaging Techniques , Coronary Angiography , Coronary Artery Disease/etiology , Coronary Artery Disease/physiopathology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Electrocardiography , Female , Fibrosis , Heart Diseases/diagnosis , Heart Diseases/etiology , Heart Diseases/physiopathology , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Microvessels/diagnostic imaging , Middle Aged , Myocardial Perfusion Imaging , Scleroderma, Diffuse/complications , Scleroderma, Limited/complications , Scleroderma, Systemic/complications , Scleroderma, Systemic/diagnosis , Stroke Volume , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
La poliarteritis nodosa (PAN) es una enfermedad no granulomatosa que afecta principalmente arterias de mediano calibre, aunque su etiología es desconocida, la lesión predominante involucra neutrófilos y mononucleares, con cambios que ocasionan formación de aneurismas y finalmente oclusión del vaso y necrosis miocárdica. Otros hallazgos en PAN son alteraciones del sistema de conducción e hipertensión arterial sistémica. Hoy, en pocos estudios relacionados con lesión miocárdica por PAN, sólo se describe un estudio realizado en la Clínica Mayo en 1926 donde se estudiaron 66 corazones con esta lesión. Así, en el presente caso se describen los hallazgos por resonancia magnética que anteriormente sólo se describían en estudios de autopsias.
The polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) is nongranulomatous disease of only medium sized arteries, the etiology of medium sized vessel vasculitis compatible with PAN is unknown, instead the predominance of neutrophils and mononuclear cells, with weakening of the vessel wall and aneurysm formation, causing stenosis and occlusion and finally myocardial infarct. Other finding in PAN are conduction system abnormalities and systemic arterial hypertension. There a few knowledge relationed in cardiac damage by PAN, as we can notice in a old study realized in the Mayo Clinic by a review of autopsy records for the period 1926 to 1958 involving cases of PAN, the studies the heart in 66 cases. In this patient we can distinguish fibrosis using late gadolinium enhancement were we found a patchy pattern as old studies showed by autopsy.
