Right ventricular diastolic abnormalities in systemic sclerosis. Relation to left ventricular involvement and pulmonary hypertension.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate right ventricular diastolic function in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and its relation to clinical features of the disease.

METHODS

Seventy seven unselected SSc patients and 33 healthy subjects were submitted to echocardiography and echo Doppler study to assess left and right systolic as well diastolic function and to estimate maximal arterial systolic pulmonary pressure (PAP). In addition, the patients were investigated to define the SSc subset and the extent of skin and internal organ involvement.

RESULTS

An abnormal right ventricular filling, as expressed by an inverted tricuspidal (Tr) E/A ratio (Tr E/A ratio <1), was detected in 31 of the 77 SSc patients (40%) and in 0 of the 36 controls ( p<0.001 ). All the 31 patients with an inverted Tr E/A ratio were found to have a PAP > 30 mm Hg. Twenty resulted to have an inverted mitral (Mit) E/A ratio (Mit E/A ratio <1), indicating an abnormal left ventricular filling. In multiple regression analysis, Tr E/A ratio resulted to be independently correlated to both PAP (r= -0.35;p<0. 003) and Mit E/A ratio (r=0.39;p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This study points out an impaired right ventricular filling in a significant percentage of SSc patients whatever the subset. This alteration is independently correlated to both PAP and left ventricular filling abnormalities.