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Updated: Oct 6, 2025
Imaging Features of Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease
Published on: June 16, 2020
Ultrasound evaluation of bowel vasculopathy in systemic sclerosis
Giulia Bandini1, Laura Cometi2, Esterita Accogli3
1Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, and Division of Internal Medicine AOUC, Viale San Luca, Florence 50134, Italy; Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Pisa, Italy; Interventional and Structural Cardiology, Heart, Lung and Vessels Department, AOU Careggi, Italy.
Background:
Gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations are frequent in systemic sclerosis (SSc) with an impact on quality of life and morbidity. Bowel vasculopathy is a key pathogenetic factor responsible for GI involvement.
Objectives:
To compare abdominal ultrasound (US) and Color Doppler Ultrasonography (CDU) features of splanchnic vessels of SSc patients with healthy controls.
Methods:
The charts of SSc patients who underwent an abdominal US and CDU study were retrospectively analyzed. For Superior Mesenteric Artery (SMA) and Inferior Mesenteric Artery (IMA) caliber, Peak Systolic Velocity (PSV), Reverse Velocity (RV), End-Diastolic Velocity (EDV), Mean Velocity (mV), Blood-flow, Resistive Index (RI) and Pulsatility Index (PI) were recorded.
Results:
28 SSc patients and 28 controls were enrolled. In SSc, caliber of SMA was significantly smaller than in controls (5.75 ± 0.62 mm vs. 6.45 ± 0.60 mm, p < 0.0001 - p adj =0.0002). The flow study of SMA and IMA showed a significant reduction of RV (SMA: 7.25 ± 6.37 cm/s vs. 18.52 ± 6.16 cm/s, p < 0.0001 - p adj <0.0001; IMA: 2.69 ± 6.10 cm/s vs. 17.06 ± 5.75 cm/s, p < 0.0001 - p adj <0.0001) and PI (SMA: 3.33 ± 0.75 vs. 4.53 ± 1.03, p < 0.0001 - p adj =0.0002; IMA: 3.54 ± 0.95 vs. 6.08 ± 1.53, p < 0.0001 - p adj <0.0001) in SSc patients than controls.
Conclusion:
involvement of splanchnic vessels in SSc may be non-invasively investigated with abdominal US and CDU. Morphological and functional changes of Doppler parameters observed in SMA and IMA clearly demonstrate that these vessels are affected by SSc vasculopathy.
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