Clinical and histopathological features of patients with systemic sclerosis undergoing endomyocardial biopsy.

Background: Cardiac involvement in systemic sclerosis (SSc) is associated with a variable phenotype including heart failure, arrhythmias and pulmonary hypertension. The aim of the present study was to evaluate clinical characteristics, histopathological findings and outcome of patients with SSc and a clinical phenotype suggesting cardiac involvement.

Methods And Results: 25 patients with SSc and clinical signs of cardiac involvement were included between June 2007 and December 2010.