Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 17, 2026

Scanning Electron Microscopy of Macerated Tissue to Visualize the Extracellular Matrix
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Published on: June 14, 2016

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Relationship Between Ventricular Arrhythmias, Conduction Disorders, and Myocardial Fibrosis in Patients With Systemic

Lucian Muresan, Irinel Oancea, Razvan Ovidiu Mada

    Journal of Clinical Rheumatology : Practical Reports on Rheumatic & Musculoskeletal Diseases
    |December 5, 2017
    PubMed

    Insights

    Delayed-enhancement MRI detects myocardial fibrosis in most scleroderma patients. Fibrosis presence generally doesn't impact arrhythmias, but diffuse fibrosis is linked to more premature ventricular contractions (PVCs).

    Area of Science:

    • Cardiology
    • Radiology
    • Rheumatology

    Background:

    • Delayed-enhancement magnetic resonance imaging (DE-MRI) is a key tool for identifying myocardial fibrosis.
    • The link between myocardial fibrosis and arrhythmias in scleroderma patients remains under-investigated.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To explore correlations between ventricular arrhythmias, conduction disorders, and myocardial fibrosis in systemic sclerosis patients.

    Main Methods:

    • 36 scleroderma patients underwent ECG, 24-hour Holter monitoring, echocardiography, and cardiac DE-MRI.
    • Gadolinium contrast was used in 33 of the DE-MRI scans.

    Main Results:

    • Myocardial fibrosis was found in 83.3% of patients via DE-MRI.
    • 60% of patients exhibited ventricular arrhythmias or conduction disorders.
    • No significant difference in arrhythmia burden or conduction disorders was observed between patients with and without fibrosis, except for a weak association between diffuse fibrosis and PVCs.

    Conclusions:

    • DE-MRI effectively identifies myocardial fibrosis in a majority of scleroderma patients.
    • Myocardial fibrosis generally does not correlate with arrhythmia burden or conduction disorders.
    • Diffuse fibrosis shows a modest association with an increased number of premature ventricular contractions per 24 hours.
    Abstract

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