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Ultrasonic videodensitometric analysis in scleroderma heart disease
V Di Bello1, C Ferri, D Giorgi
1Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pisa, Italy. dibellov@po.ifc.pi.cnr.it
Coronary Artery Disease
|April 29, 1999
Summary
Ultrasonic videodensitometric analysis detected preclinical myocardial fibrosis in 90% of systemic sclerosis patients. This non-invasive method reveals early cardiac changes, aiding in understanding disease progression.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Rheumatology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Cardiac involvement is a common complication of systemic sclerosis, impacting patient prognosis.
- Early detection of myocardial alterations is crucial for managing systemic sclerosis patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate ultrasonic videodensitometric analysis for detecting preclinical myocardial changes in systemic sclerosis.
- To investigate potential links between these changes and myocardial fibrosis.
Main Methods:
- Fifty systemic sclerosis patients with normal left ventricular function and 25 controls underwent echocardiography.
- Quantitative texture analysis and mean gray level (MGL) histograms were used.
- Cyclic variation index (CVI) was calculated to assess myocardial structural function.
Main Results:
- Systemic sclerosis patients showed significantly different MGL variations compared to controls (p < 0.0001).
- Cyclic variation index (CVI) was significantly lower in systemic sclerosis patients (septum: -31%, posterior wall: -19%) versus controls (septum: 36%, posterior wall: 51%).
- These findings suggest myocardial fibrosis in 90% of patients.
Conclusions:
- Ultrasonic videodensitometric analysis is a feasible, non-invasive method for detecting myocardial alterations in systemic sclerosis.
- Detected abnormalities may relate to fibrosis and microcirculatory issues.
- Further research is needed to explore the role of these changes in ventricular dysfunction pathogenesis.