title: Cardiac involvement in patients of systemic sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Systemic sclerosis is a multi-systemic autoimmune disorder. Cardiac involvement by the disease, although not included in the diagnostic criteria, may be seen either clinically, histologically or may be revealed by various investigative modalities.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To see the profile of cardiac involvement in patients of systemic sclerosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-seven patients of systemic sclerosis were included in the study. After taking a complete history and doing a detailed physical examination, the patients were submitted to electrocardiogram ECG (all leads), echocardiography and x-ray chest. Furst's organ indices scoring system for cardiac involvement was followed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-seven patients of systemic sclerosis were included in the study. Five females gave a history of palpitations. A loud pulmonic heart sound was heard in 1. Arrhythmias were observed in 5 patients. Significantly, echocardiography revealed valvular involvement in 5 patients. Left ventricular hypertrophy was seen in 2 patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our patients, cardiac involvement was rare. In contrast to other studies, valvular involvement was a prominent feature.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Complete evaluation for arrhythmias with 24-h Holter monitor was not used.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, STD and Leprosy and Department of Internal Medicine, Government Medical College, Srinagar Kashmir (Jammu and Kashmir), India.
authors.forename: Qazi Masood
authors.initials: QM
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Iffat Hassan
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Qazi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Nauman
authors.forename: Farah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sameem
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kamili