Echocardiographic study of juvenile dermatomyositis patients: new insights from speckle-tracking-derived strain

ConclusionsLV 2DST detected early systolic myocardial compromise in asymptomatic pediatric JDM patients, with preserved EF. Longitudinal strain impairment was associated with disease activity and cumulative damage, whereas circumferential strain impairment was associated exclusively with cumulative damage.Key Points:• Serious cardiac involvement is rare but has been associated with death in juvenile dermatomyositis.• Two-dimensional speckle tracking stands out for the identification of subclinical myocardial compromise in juvenile dermatomyositis.• Longitudinal strain impairment is associated with disease activity and cumulative damage, whereas circumferential strain impairment is associated exclusively with cumulative damage.
Source: Clinical Rheumatology - Category: Rheumatology Source Type: research