Aortic valve replacement in systemic sclerosis.

Systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease of the connective tissue, which can involve the cardiac valves, the mitral valve being more frequently affected, although involvement of the aortic valve has been rarely described. We report a patient with aortic stenosis and systemic sclerosis who required aortic valve replacement. Awareness of this rare association may help to provide adequate management of such patients and prevent complications related to the underlying disease.