Global longitudinal strain measured by speckle tracking identifies subclinical heart involvement in patients with systemic sclerosis

BackgroundSystemic sclerosis is characterised by progressive cutaneous and organ fibrosis. Among all organs, a subclinical heart involvement is difficult to detect through conventional imaging.DesignWe evaluated whether speckle tracking-derived global longitudinal strain could help detect early subclinical systolic dysfunction in systemic sclerosis patients without overt clinical involvement.MethodsA case–control, single-centre study on 52 systemic sclerosis patients and 52 age and gender-matched controls. Patients with structural heart disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation and pulmonary hypertension were excluded. For every patient, standard echocardiographic and speckle tracking-derived variables for the systolic and diastolic function of the left ventricle and right ventricle were acquired.ResultsTraditional parameters of left and right systolic function did not differ between systemic sclerosis patients and controls (all P = ns). Left and right ventricular global longitudinal strain was signific...