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Cardiac tamponade with scleroderma renal crisis in systemic sclerosis: a case report
Suraj Shrestha1, Roshan Aryal1, Suman Acharya2
1Maharajgunj Medical Campus, Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Annals of Medicine and Surgery (2012)
|September 3, 2025
Summary
Systemic sclerosis can present with cardiac tamponade and scleroderma renal crisis. Early diagnosis and multidisciplinary care are crucial for managing this rare autoimmune complication.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Nephrology
- Rheumatology
Background:
- Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare autoimmune disease causing organ fibrosis and vasculopathy.
- Cardiac tamponade is an uncommon SSc manifestation, often co-occurring with scleroderma renal crisis (SRC).
Observation:
- A 50-year-old woman with SSc presented with dyspnea, chest pain, and oliguria.
- Diagnostic findings included large pericardial effusion causing cardiac tamponade, acute kidney injury, and microangiopathic hemolytic anemia.
Findings:
- The patient underwent pericardiocentesis and hemodialysis.
- Treatment involved diuretics and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs).
Implications:
- This case highlights the critical, albeit rare, presentation of SSc with concurrent cardiac tamponade and SRC.
- Early diagnosis and multidisciplinary management, including ACEIs for SRC, are vital for patient outcomes.
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