Association of cardiac magnetic resonance-detected myocardial abnormalities with disease characteristics and brain natriuretic peptide levels in systemic sclerosis without cardiac symptoms.

Myocardial abnormalities were common in SSc patients without cardiac symptoms. We suggest that LV morphological changes may have resulted from myocardial abnormalities. BNP may be useful as a screening tool for the detection of myocardial abnormalities in SSc patients.