Echocardiographic patterns in scleroderma.

The echocardiograms of two patients with sclerodermatous cardiac disease are described. In one patient the pattern was that of a congestive cardiomyopathy with ventricular dilatation and reduced wall motion. In the second patient the pattern was that of an infiltrative cardiomyopathy with thickened walls and reduced wall motion in the absence of ventricular dilatation. Echocardiographic studies are useful in the early detection of pericardial involvement and primary or secondary myocardial involvement by scleroderma and in following the progression of the disease process.