[Myocardial involvement in rheumatic diseases]

The rheumatic diseases share many features. Clinically, they are often systemic diseases affecting multiple organs. Pathologically, these diseases share in common a diffuse vasculitis with an inflammatory process. Involvement of myocardium is also pathologically a common finding in rheumatic diseases, especially systemic sclerosis and dermatopolymyositis. Although clinical symptoms are often silent, potentially life-threatening manifestations are well known. Non invasive techniques such as nuclear imaging and echocardiography are useful to detect occult cardiac lesions. Clinically overt cardiac involvement portends an unfavorable prognosis. Early detection of subclinical involvement of myocardium is essential to improve prognosis.