Primary myocardial disease in scleroderma—a comprehensive review of the literature to inform the UK Systemic Sclerosis Study Group cardiac working group

Systemic sclerosis and the risk of perioperative major adverse cardiovascular events for inpatient non‐cardiac surgery

“…Our study did not find a consistent increased perioperative MACE risk in SSc patients undergoing noncardiac surgeries, but did indicate a possible association between SSc and perioperative MI. Despite SSc being associated with increases in risk of stroke, myocardial disease, and cardiac arrhythmias, SSc was not found to be independently associated with increased risk of ischemic stroke, cardiac arrest, or all‐cause death in perioperative settings in our study.…”

Rapidly progressive endomyocardial fibrosis and heart failure in a 17-year-old female with limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis

“…Primary cardiac involvement in patients with SSc is associated with diffuse SSc, male gender, older age, and long disease duration, in contrast to our patient (4). Previous studies demonstrated significant clinical improvement, normalization of cardiac enzymes, and CMR regression or normalization during immunosuppressive therapy (5-7).…”

Clinical and laboratory predictions of myocardial inflammation as detected by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in patients with systemic sclerosis: A pilot study

“…The prevalence of myocardial inflammation in SSc patients is evidently much higher in patients with a NYHA functional class ≥ II than those with a normal functional class. According to the natural history of the disease, cardiac involvement commonly occurs 4‐5 years after disease onset; the current study supports the finding of myocardial involvement early on in disease pathogenesis. Despite a lower prevalence of internal organ involvement in limited cutaneous SSc than in diffuse cutaneous SSc, cardiac inflammation can be found early on in both diffuse and limited cutaneous SSc.…”