Diagnosis of Simultaneous Atrial and Ventricular Mechanical Performance in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic connective tissue disorder with an inflammatory and autoimmune nature. The disease presents with microvascular changes, endothelial cell dysfunction, and fibrosis in visceral organs and tissues including lung, skin and heart. Cardiac involvement is a predictor of poor prognosis in this disease; therefore, early and pre-clinical diagnosis of cardiac involvement can be helpful in management of SSc. Two-dimensional Speckle Tracking Echocardiography (2D-STE) is a new method for the evaluation of myocardial strain in longitudinal, circumferential and radial planes. This study aimed at evaluating the mechanical performance of all cardiac chambers by using 2D-STE in patients with scleroderma, and its comparison with normal individuals. This study demonstrated that using 2D-STE can result in the diagnosis of impaired chamber mechanics and function in subclinical stages. Based on our findings, the simultaneous evaluation of all cardiac chambers by 2D-STE provides valuable information regarding myocardial involvement in patients with SSc. ABSTRACT: Objective: Cardiac involvement is a predictor of poor prognosis in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc); therefore, preclinical diagnosis of heart involvement is crucial. Two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE), a method for evaluating the myocardial strain, could be helpful for the early diagnosis of cardiac mechanical function abnormalities. In this study, the simultaneous evaluation of all cardiac chambers was studied in patients with SSc, compared with normal individuals. Methods: The results of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and 2D-STE of 37 patients with SSc and 37 healthy individuals and the longitudinal strain (LS) of all chambers was precisely evaluated. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 16, and independent-sample t test and Chi-square test were used for comparison between the groups. Results: The mean ± SD of the participants’ age was 45.7 ± 11.54 (range of 17 to 68) years; most of them were women (75.7%). TTE showed higher left atrial (LA) volume (p < 0.001), right atrial (RA) area (p = 0.007), the severity of ventricular dysfunction (p < 0.05) and inferior vena cava diameter (p = 0.005), compared with the control group. Spectral and tissue Doppler echocardiography showed higher systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (sPAP) and mitral A wave velocity, and lower E/A ratio, E’ velocity of left ventricular (LV) septal and lateral wall in the case group (p < 0.05). Color Doppler echocardiography showed a higher frequency of valvular regurgitation in the case group (p < 0.05). The results of 2D-STE showed lower LA roof LS (p < 0.001), LA average LS (p = 0.015), LA global LS (p = 0.028), and LA ejection fraction (LAEF) (p = 0.001), lower mean RA left wall (p = 0.048) and EF (p < 0.001), and higher RV global LS in the case group (p = 0.025). Conclusions: Simultaneous evaluation of all cardiac chambers by 2D-STE provides valuable information about the myocardial involvement in patients with SSc. Therefore, it is suggested to use this method for the early diagnosis of cardiac involvement in such patients.