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 autops y results, but symptomatic pericarditis manifests in about 16% of patients with diffuse scleroderma and in about 30% of patients with limited sclerode rma. The clinically evident pericardial effusion is rare in scleroderma, al though it can be detected in about 41% of patients with echocardiography. I n majority of the patients, the pericardial effusion is small and not assoc iated with symptoms. The pericardial effusion manifests usually after the m anifestation of the other clinical and serologic features of scleroderma. A case of scleroderma is reported that presented with a large pericardial ef fusion, which antedated the other clinical and serologic features of sclero derma. The pericardial involvement in scleroderma is reviewed.