Massive pericardial effusion in scleroderma: a review of five cases

Successful Treatment of Systemic Sclerosis-related Pericarditis with Mycophenolate Mofetil and Low-dose Prednisolone

We herein report a case of systemic sclerosis (SSc)-related pericarditis successfully treated with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and low-dose prednisolone (PSL). The patient was a 72-year-old woman with anti-centromere antibody. Her clinical manifestations were Raynaud phenomenon, bilateral pleural effusion, pericardial effusion and skin tightness. Based on the findings of exudative pericardial effusion with the absence of pulmonary arterial hypertension from the results of the cardiac catheter and pericardiocentesis, she was diagnosed with SSc-related pericarditis and treated with PSL10 mg and MMF 1 g per day, leading to the complete resolution of pericarditis. These findings suggested that MMF and low-dose PSL were effective for SSc-related pericarditis.

Points to consider when doing a trial primarily involving the heart

Cardiac involvement contributes to the severity of SSc and should carefully be investigated and managed in SSc patients. Although it is commonly sub-clinical, once symptomatic it has a poor prognosis. Several complementary tools (circulating biomarkers, electrocardiography, echocardiography, scintigraphy or MRI) allow the assessment of all the various cardiac structures (endocardium, myocardium and pericardium) and heart function. Treatment remains empirical but cardiac trials in SSc can add data to the treatment of this complication.

Consensus best practice pathway of the UK Systemic Sclerosis Study group: management of cardiac disease in systemic sclerosis

Objective

Cardiac disease in SSc can manifest in various ways and is associated with a poor prognosis. There is little evidence on how best to detect and manage cardiac disease in SSc. Our objective was to produce an expert consensus best practice pathway for the management of cardiac disease in SSc.

Methods

The UK Systemic Sclerosis Study Group set up several working groups to develop a number of consensus best practice pathways for the management of SSc-specific complications, including cardiac disease. A multidisciplinary task force was convened. The guidelines were partly informed by a comprehensive literature review.

Results

A best practice pathway for cardiac disease (with a focus on primary cardiac disease) in SSc is presented, including approaches for early detection and standard pharmacological and device therapies. Due to the benefits, shared care and a multidisciplinary approach are recommended. A future research agenda has been formulated in response to the relative lack of understanding of the natural history of primary cardiac disease that was highlighted by the initiative.

Conclusion

The physician should be alert to the possibility of cardiac disease in SSc; it is best managed within a multidisciplinary team including both rheumatologists and cardiologists. This pathway provides a reference for all physicians managing patients with SSc.

Cardiac tamponade and severe pericardial effusion in systemic sclerosis: report of nine patients and review of the literature

AIM

To describe the clinical characteristics, treatment and outcome of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) developing severe pericardial effusion or cardiac tamponade.

METHODS

SSc patients with severe pericardial effusion or cardiac tamponade from three Spanish hospitals were collected. In addition, a computer-assisted (PubMed, MEDLINE) search of the literature to identify all cases of cardiac tamponade or severe pericardial effusion associated with SSc reported in English, French and Spanish from 1987 through September 2015 was performed.

RESULTS

We included 40 patients (nine cases from the Spanish hospitals and 31 cases from the literature review). Most patients (87%) were female with a mean age at pericardial involvement of 49.3 ± 15.2 years (range: 18-80 years), and 22 (55%) patients had the diffuse cutaneous subtype. Twenty-five (63%) patients presented with cardiac tamponade and the remaining 15 (37%) as severe or massive pericardial effusion. Pericardial involvement was previous or simultaneous to SSc diagnosis in 13 (32.5%) cases. In most cases (88.9%) pericardial fluid analysis disclosed an exudate. Half the patients received steroids and 35% needed surgical treatment. Five (12.5%) patients died due to cardiac tamponade, three of them during the acute phase and the remaining two, 2 and 9 months later, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Although cardiac tamponade or severe pericardial effusion is an infrequent complication in SSc patients, it can be the first manifestation of disease associated with the diffuse cutaneous subset. No specific treatment for this complication is known.

New development of cardiac tamponade on underlying effusive-constrictive pericarditis: an uncommon initial presentation of scleroderma

A 40-year-old man with a medical history of hypertension was admitted for weight loss, generalised weakness, joint pains and mottling of fingertips. The initial laboratory data revealed microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia, thrombocytopenia and acute renal failure. Intravenous steroids were started for possible diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus based on admission assessment. Intravenous immunoglobulin and plasmapharesis were subsequently added to the treatment plan to cover thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura while his autoimmune panel was pending. The echocardiogram study on day 2 revealed cardiac tamponade for which he underwent pericardiocentesis and right heart catheterisation. The atrial waveforms postpericardiocentesis demonstrated effusive-constrictive pericarditis. His clinical condition kept on deteriorating with reaccumulation of pericardial effusion and further complicated by hemoperitoneum and colonic obstruction. He had cardiorespiratory arrest on his fourth admission day and was not revived. Anti-Scl-70 antibody came back positive. Autopsy findings confirmed the presence of fibrinous pericarditis and hemoperitoneum.

Recurrent pericardial effusion and pericardial tamponade in a patient with limited systemic sclerosis

We describe a patient with limited systemic sclerosis who presented with a large pericardial effusion with tamponade on echocardiogram, requiring pericardiocentesis to drain 1.2 l of fluid. She had a rapid re-accumulation of pericardial fluid and subsequently required a pericardial window. Although small pericardial effusions are common in patients with systemic sclerosis it is rare to have hemodynamic compromise. Previously reported large pericardial effusions have been seen in patients with pulmonary hypertension and renal failure however these were absent in our patient.

Atteinte cardiaque de la sclérodermie systémique

Primary myocardial involvement is common in systemic sclerosis. Increasing evidence strongly suggests that this involvement is related to repeated focal ischemic injury causing irreversible myocardial fibrosis. The underlying mechanism appears to be microcirculatory impairment with abnormal vasoreactivity, with or without structural vascular abnormalities. Clinically evident cardiac involvement is recognized to be a poor prognostic factor. Pericardial involvement is frequent but usually asymptomatic. Conduction system abnormalities appear common but not serious, while arrhythmias may be life-threatening. No significant valvular involvement appears to be associated with systemic sclerosis. Treatment for myocardial involvement includes long-term systematic administration of calcium channel blockers and possibly angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, frequently given at high dosage.

[Renal involvement in systemic sclerosis]

Renal crisis is one of the most severe complications of systemic sclerosis, and its frequency is 10%, and it is characterized by malignant hypertension, hyperreninemia, azotemia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, and renal failure. In the pathogenesis of renal affection, the main mechanism is the endothelial damage (thickness of arterial vessels), decrease of blood flow and hyperplasia of the yuxtaglomerular apparatus as well as release of renina. Pathological changes of scleroderma kidney are similar to those observed in other forms of malignant hypertension. Renal crisis was considered as fatal complications, however it is now successfully treated with angiotensin- converting enzyme inhibitors.

[Cardiac involvement in systemic sclerosis]

Systemic sclerosis (SS) can involve the pericardium, myocardium, conduction system, and cardiac valves. The presence of overt clinical signs of cardiac disease is a poor prognostic sign. Clinical manifestations include dyspnea, palpitations, chest pain, syncope, and symptoms of right heart failure. Prevalence of clinically symptomatic pericardial disease is 5-16%. However, ecocardiographic prevalence is 5.4- 41% and at autopsy is 33-77.5%. Patchy fibrosis is the characteristic myocardial finding in SS. Contraction band necrosis is the typical pathological finding. Important complications of fibrosis include left ventricular hypertrophy, as well as systolic and diastolic dysfunction of both ventricles. Early detection of these abnormalities is very important, mainly of the diastolic dysfunction, since it occurs before the systolic dysfunction and can predict important cardiac damage. Association of skeletal myositis with myocardial disease has been described. Patients with skeletal myositis are more likely to develop congestive heart failure, sustained symptomatic arrythmias, and cardiac sudden death. Coronary arteries are normal in systemic sclerosis, but there is no endomyocardial vessel involvement. There is an increased prevalence of arrhytmias, mainly premature atrial and ventricular contractions, as well as conduction system disease. Cardiac valvular involvement is minor in systemic sclerosis; mitral valve is the most frequently affected. Other abnormalities described in this disease include peripheral large vessels stiffness and secondary cardiac involvement due to pulmonary and systemic arterial hypertension. Cardiac involvement confers a high morbi-mortality risk in systemic sclerosis.

Atypical hemodynamic manifestations of cardiac tamponade

Clinical examination and transthoracic echocardiography play a vital role in the management of patients with pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade physiology. We report patients in advanced phase 3 cardiac tamponade with variant clinical and hemodynamic presentations. These atypical cardiac tamponade cases include: A patient with severe aortic valve regurgitation who lacked pulsus paradoxus; a patient with systemic sclerosis without hypotension; and a patient with pulmonary hypertension lacking right heart collapse on echocardiography. Recognition of these atypical clinical and hemodynamic manifestations of cardiac tamponade will avoid undue delay in the treatment.

Cardiac Tamponade An Uncommon Presentation of Hypertensive Scleroderma Renal Crisis

Cardiac tamponade is an extremely rare manifestation of systemic sclerosis and has been reported to be a risk factor for the subsequent development of renal failure. We report the case of a 37-year-old man with recently diagnosed scleroderma who presented with chest pain and shortness of breath. He was found to have scleroderma renal crisis as well as cardiac tamponade. He responded hemodynamically to emergent pericardiocentesis and blood pressure control with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. However, the renal function deteriorated further leading to development of end-stage renal disease and required chronic hemodialysis.Although pericardial effusions are common in scleroderma, cardiac tamponade is rare. Coexistent hypertension and cardiac tamponade in scleroderma have not been described previously. Elevated systemic blood pressure can accompany and should not be used to exclude the diagnosis of cardiac tamponade. We emphasize the importance of pericardial disease as an uncommon but important cause of chest pain in patients with scleroderma.

Scleroderma renal crisis

Renal crisis occurs in patients who have systemic sclerosis with rapidly progressive diffuse cutaneous thickening early in their disease. SRC is characterized by malignant hypertension, hyperreninemia, azotemia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, and renal failure. SRC was almost uniformly fatal, but in most cases it can now be successfully treated with ACE inhibitors. This therapy has improved survival, reduced the requirement for dialysis, and often allowed for the discontinuation of dialysis 6 to 18 months later. Prompt diagnosis and early, aggressive initiation of therapy with ACE inhibitors will result in the most optimal outcome.

Life-threatening complications of systemic sclerosis

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is common in patients with SSc. Fig. 1 shows the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to PAH in SSc. Doppler echocardiography may suggest the diagnosis, but RHC is necessary to confirm PAH and to measure vasoreactivity. Therapy is directed at the underlying connective tissue disease. Vasoreactive patients often benefit from therapy with high-dose calcium-channel [figure: see text] blockers, but most patients are not vasoreactive. Intravenous epoprostenol and oral endothelin-1 receptor antagonists improve hemodynamic measurements and symptoms in SSc-associated PAH. The therapy of right ventricular failure is focused on vasodilators, inotropes, and diuretics with careful attention to avoiding systemic hypotension. The scleroderma pulmonary-renal syndrome and the scleroderma renal crisis are distinct syndromes with different clinical presentations, histopathologic manifestations, treatments, and outcomes. The scleroderma pulmonary renal syndrome is an autoimmune vasculitis of kidney and lung associated with normal blood pressure. Treatment is supportive, and prognosis is dismal. In contrast, scleroderma renal crisis is associated with systemic hypertension, onion skinning of afferent arterioles, and response to ACE inhibition and renal replacement therapy. Pericardial effusions are common but only occasionally lead to tamponade. Esophageal dysmotility is often associated with aspiration, leading to pulmonary fibrosis, pneumonia, or ARDS. Diffuse bowel involvement may result in pseudo-obstruction, bacterial overgrowth, or malabsorption. Prokinetic agents, antibiotics, and parenteral nutrition may be required.

Scleroderma pericardial disease presented with a large pericardial effusion--a case report

Scleroderma pericardial disease is usually silent and benign. The incidence of pericardial involvement in scleroderma is about 50% according to autopsy results, but symptomatic pericarditis manifests in about 16% of patients with diffuse scleroderma and in about 30% of patients with limited scleroderma. The clinically evident pericardial effusion is rare in scleroderma, although it can be detected in about 41% of patients with echocardiography. In majority of the patients, the pericardial effusion is small and not associated with symptoms. The pericardial effusion manifests usually after the manifestation of the other clinical and serologic features of scleroderma. A case of scleroderma is reported that presented with a large pericardial effusion, which antedated the other clinical and serologic features of scleroderma. The pericardial involvement in scleroderma is reviewed.

Cyclosporin A and iloprost treatment of systemic sclerosis: clinical results and interleukin-6 serum changes after 12 months of therapy

OBJECTIVES

The main aim was to analyse the long-term therapeutic effects on systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients of treatment with either (i) iloprost alone or (ii) low-dose oral cyclosporin A (CyA) associated with iloprost. A secondary aim was to analyse interleukin-6 (IL-6) serum levels in SSc patients before and after 1 yr of treatment.

METHODS

A clinical trial was performed in which 20 consecutive SSc patients were alternately randomized into two homogeneous groups receiving either monthly i.v. iloprost (1 ng/kg/min in 6 h i.v. infusion, for 5 consecutive days, 1 week per month) (Group I) or low-dose CyA (2.5 mg/kg/day) associated with iloprost administration (Group II). IL-6 concentrations were evaluated by ELISA in the sera of each patient before and after 1 yr of therapy and in 20 healthy subjects.

RESULTS

After 1 yr of therapy, a significant improvement of skin (P=0.008), microvascular (P=0.004) and oesophageal (P=0.05) morphological and functional parameters was observed only in Group II patients. Furthermore, after 1 yr of treatment, a significant reduction (P=0.007) of IL-6 serum concentration was observed only in Group II patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Collectively, our data suggest that the combination of low-dose CyA with iloprost administration may be of clinical utility in SSc and that a mechanism of action of CyA in SSc may include the decrease in IL-6 production.

Scleroderma renal crisis

Renal crisis occurs in systemic sclerosis patients with rapidly progressive diffuse cutaneous thickening early in their disease. SRC is characterized by malignant hypertension, hyperreninemia, azotemia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, and renal failure. This complication, which in the past has been almost uniformly fatal, is now successfully treated in most cases with ACE inhibitors. This therapy has improved survival, reduced requirement for dialysis, and in those on dialysis has often allowed discontinuation of this procedure 6 to 18 months later. Prompt diagnosis and early, aggressive initiation of therapy with ACE inhibitors will result in the most optimal outcome. Chronic nonrenal crisis renal insufficiency is unusual and rarely progresses to significant renal dysfunction.