Identification of Myocardial Damage in Systemic Sclerosis: A Nuclear Cardiology Approach

Table 2

Comparison of low and high skin thickness score in patients and control subjects.

	Control	Low MRSS	High MRSS	𝑃
		(<10)	(≥10)
N	16	16	18
Age (years)	50±12	56±10	55±15	n.s.
Male : female	2 : 14	2 : 14	1 : 17	n.s.
MRSS	—	4.0±2.5	19.2±6.7	<.0001
Myocardial perfusion imaging
Induced ischemia	0	2	1	n.s.
Resting hypoperfusion	0	2	3	n.s.
Gated SPECT
Heart rate (/min)	65±7	68±11	71±8	n.s.
EF (%)	68±9	73±9	71±12	n.s.
EF <55%	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (11%)	n.s.
PFR (/sec)	2.46±0.45	2.76±0.44	2.74±0.53	n.s.
1/3 MFR (/sec)	1.52±0.25	1.57±0.31	1.25±0.42	.017
TPFR (msec)	166±22	168±38	216±82	.015
TPFR/RR	0.18±0.02	0.19±0.04	0.26±0.09	.002

Adapted from the results of [30]
MRSS, modified Rodnan total skin thickness score;
EF, ejection fraction; PFR, peak filling rate; 1/3 MFR, one-third mean filling rate;
TPFR, time to PFR; TPFR/RR, TPFR divided by RR interval.