[Echocardiographic study of heart function in systemic scleroderma].

Echocardiographic investigation of 65 patients with systemic scleroderma showed that the left ventricular sizes and indices of central hemodynamics were frequently lowered in them; an increase in sizes was observed mainly in the patients with stage II-III of disease. In 3/4 of the same patients pericarditis was revealed; on the whole, it was detected in 26 (40%) examinees. One patient had changes which were typical of asymmetric obstructive cardiopathy. In location of the valvular apparatus signs of mitral stenosis were found in one patient, those of mitral insufficiency in one patient and those of aortic insufficiency in one patient. Signs of mitral prolapse were noted in 7 (10.9%) patients, i.e. twice more frequently than in the entire population. Echocardiography made it possible to specify the nature of cardiac pathology and brought to light some additional features of the involvement of different heart membranes in systemic scleroderma.