Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
11
pubmed:dateCreated
1997-4-18
pubmed:abstractText
Cardiac involvement is quite frequent in systemic sclerosis (SSc). From a pathophysiologic point of view, one must differentiate a primary scleroderma heart disease due to pericardial and/or myocardial and/or small coronary intramyocardial vessel involvement from heart disease secondary to either pulmonary interstitial or vascular involvement (pulmonal cor) or to kidney disease (hypertensive myocardial disease). A significant difference emerges when the prevalence of clinically and standard ECG detected cardiac involvement in SSc patients is compared with that registered at autopsy. In the last years, however, Holter ECG, echocardiography, perfusional scintigraphy and ventriculography have reduced such gap, a preclinical scleroderma heart disease being detected by such techniques in quite a high percentage of SSc patients. Asymptomatic SSc patients may be found to present small pericardial effusions and/or either fixed (fibrosis) or reversible (vascular disease) or both types thallium defects or a defective cardiac functional reserve. Both clinically evident scleroderma heart disease and ventricular arrhythmias have a poor prognostic significance. Therefore, a complete cardiological work-up must be periodically carried out in SSc patients. Scleroderma heart disease has long been considered a condition difficult to treat. The detection of diastolic abnormalities and of diastolic failure in SSc patients make us able to understand the therapeutic failure of inotropic agents. Recently, captopril has been shown to improve cardiac function in SSc. It might act either on vascular disease or on fibrosis by affecting the remodelling process of the myocardial wall.
pubmed:language
ita
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Nov
pubmed:issn
0034-1193
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
87
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
557-63
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1996
pubmed:articleTitle
[Cardiopathy in systemic sclerosis].
pubmed:affiliation
Cartedra di Reumatologia, Seconda Università, Napoli.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, English Abstract, Review