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Updated: Jun 20, 2025
Imaging Features of Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease
Published on: June 16, 2020
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in systemic sclerosis: Heart involvement in high-resolution
Jessica L Fairley1,2, Rachael O'Rourke3,4, Rajesh Puranik5,6
1The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Insights
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) offers superior assessment of heart structure and function in systemic sclerosis (SSc). This review highlights CMR
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Rheumatology
- Medical Physics
Background:
- Systemic sclerosis (SSc) significantly increases mortality risk due to heart involvement (SHI).
- Conventional echocardiography often underestimates the extent of SHI.
- Myocardial changes in SSc, such as edema and fibrosis, require advanced imaging techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) techniques for assessing SHI.
- To elucidate the role of CMR in identifying and quantifying myocardial changes in SSc.
- To explore future opportunities for CMR in understanding SSc pathogenesis and management.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on CMR applications in SSc.
- Analysis of CMR's ability to characterize myocardial tissue, including edema and fibrosis.
- Synthesis of data on CMR's diagnostic and prognostic value in SHI.
Main Results:
- CMR is the gold-standard for non-invasive cardiac assessment, surpassing echocardiography in detecting subtle myocardial changes in SSc.
- CMR can effectively identify and quantify myocardial edema and fibrosis, crucial indicators of SHI.
- Current CMR techniques provide valuable insights into the pathogenesis and extent of heart involvement in SSc.
Conclusions:
- Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is essential for accurate assessment of systemic sclerosis-related heart involvement.
- CMR enables detailed characterization of myocardial tissue, improving understanding of SHI.
- Further research utilizing CMR can advance the management and treatment strategies for patients with SSc.
Abstract:
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is the gold-standard non-invasive method of assessing cardiac structure and function, including tissue characterisation. In systemic sclerosis (SSc), heart involvement (SHI) is a leading cause of mortality yet remains poorly understood. SHI is underestimated by conventional echocardiography, and CMR provides an important opportunity to better identify and quantify subtle myocardial changes including oedema and fibrosis. This review summarises current CMR techniques, the role of CMR in SSc and SHI, and the opportunities to further our understanding of its pathogenesis and management.
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