CARDIAC INVOLVEMENT IN IRAQI PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS (SCLERODERMA)

Background: Systemic sclerosis (Scleroderma) is a chronic multisystem disease of unknown etiology, has been considered a disease of metabolic disorder of connective tissue. Methodology: A case control study. Thirty patients with systemic sclerosis forming the study group and twenty healthy individuals as a control group. Chest X-ray, electrocardiogram, and echocardiography were done for both groups for cardiac evaluation. Results: The incidence of cardiac abnormality among patients group was (66.7%) in comparison to the control group (20%) (p = 0.001). Also there was an increase in the incidence of pericardial abnormalities (23.3%) and mitral valve thickening (33.3%) amongsclerodermic patients than control group (0%, 5%) respectively. There was a significant difference (P = 0.053) in the occurrence of cardiac involvement among diffuse scleroderma (75%) than limited one (33.3%). Conclusion: Cardiac abnormalities affect more than half of patients with systemic sclerosis. These abnormalities appear to be more frequent in patients with diffuse scleroderma than in limited one.