Pericardial abnormalities predict the presence of echocardiographically defined pulmonary arterial hypertension in systemic sclerosis-related interstitial lung disease.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and significance of pericardial abnormalities in systemic sclerosis (SSc)-related interstitial lung disease (ILD).

Methods: Retrospective study of 41 subjects with SSc-related ILD who underwent evaluation including thoracic high-resolution CT (HRCT) imaging, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), and pulmonary function testing. HRCT review evaluated the pericardium for the presence of pericardial effusion (PEf), thickness of the anterior pericardial recess (APR) [abnormal defined as > 10 mm], and pericardial thickening as calculated by total pericardial score (TPS) [abnormal defined as > 8 mm].