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Normothermic Ex Situ Heart Perfusion in Working Mode: Assessment of Cardiac Function and Metabolism
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Evaluation of global function of the heart in scleroderma patients

Demet Menekse Gerede1, Sibel Turhan1, Refika Hural1

  • 1Department of Cardiology, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.

Echocardiography (Mount Kisco, N.Y.)
|September 25, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Early detection of cardiac dysfunction in scleroderma is crucial. Echocardiography revealed significant biventricular systolic and diastolic abnormalities in scleroderma patients, even before clinical symptoms appear.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Rheumatology
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Scleroderma is a connective tissue disease with potential cardiac involvement.
  • Cardiac involvement in scleroderma is a poor prognostic indicator.
  • Early detection of cardiac issues in scleroderma is vital for timely intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess left and right ventricular function in scleroderma patients.
  • To identify early signs of cardiac involvement using echocardiography.
  • To compare cardiac function between scleroderma patients and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

  • Conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiography were employed.
  • Evaluated systolic indices: systolic velocity, isovolumetric acceleration, ejection time, and isovolumetric contraction time.
  • Assessed diastolic function parameters including early and late diastolic velocities, E/A and E'/A' ratios, isovolumetric relaxation time, and deceleration time.
  • Calculated myocardial performance index (Tei index) for global ventricular function.

Main Results:

  • Scleroderma patients exhibited significantly lower mitral S velocity, biventricular ejection time, E', E/A, E'/A', right and left ventricular isovolumetric acceleration, and tricuspid S velocity.
  • Mitral deceleration time, isovolumetric contraction time, and biventricular isovolumetric relaxation time were significantly higher in scleroderma patients.
  • Both right and left ventricular Tei indices were significantly increased in scleroderma patients compared to controls.

Conclusions:

  • Scleroderma patients demonstrate depressed global ventricular function preceding clinical manifestation.
  • Abnormalities in both biventricular diastolic and systolic function are present in scleroderma.
  • Echocardiography is effective in detecting subclinical cardiac dysfunction in scleroderma.
Abstract

Keywords:
myocardial performance indexsclerodermatissue Doppler echocardiography

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