Cardiac involved and autopsy in two patients with systemic sclerosis: Two cases report

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue disease with high mortality. One of the most common causes of death in potential SSc patients is cardiac arrest. However, the pathogenesis of cardiac death is not very clear. As far as we know, there are few autopsy reports on this subject. Our autopsy...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Heliyon 2023-05, Vol.9 (5), p.e15555, Article e15555
Main Authors: Yu, Hang, Wen, Qinwen, Zhang, Xiaolu, Zhang, Hanqing, Wu, Xiudi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Autopsy
Cardiac involvement
Case Report
Systemic sclerosis
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Summary:Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue disease with high mortality. One of the most common causes of death in potential SSc patients is cardiac arrest. However, the pathogenesis of cardiac death is not very clear. As far as we know, there are few autopsy reports on this subject. Our autopsy report on two fatal cases of heart injury in SSc patients revealed evidence of myocarditis, focal myocardial necrosis, and myocardial fibrosis. Our findings suggest that chronic inflammation of the heart may lead to extensive fibrosis, which could contribute to the high mortality rate observed in SSc patients. Early detection of heart injury in SSc patients using existing technology is necessary to improve patient outcomes. Future research should focus on developing more effective methods for early detection and management of heart involvement in SSc. •A combination of inflammation and fibrosis was seen in the heart at autopsy.•The extensive fibrotic process may be secondary to chronic diffuse inflammation of the heart.•The available technology is necessary to early detect the damage of the heart in patients with SSc.
ISSN:2405-8440
2405-8440
DOI:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15555