Rheumatology Medical News about scleroderma;clinical features;ischemic digital ulcers

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Clinical features of scleroderma patients with or without prior or current ischemic digital ulcers: Post-hoc analysis of a nationwide multicenter cohort (ItinérAIR-Sclérodermie)
Journal of Rheumatology, 07/06/09

Tiev KP et al. – Study reports that male patients with early onset systemic sclerosis (SSc), more severe skin fibrosis, impaired DLCO, and anti-topo I were most likely to exhibit prior or current digital ulcers.

Methods

Cross-sectional analysis to compare the characteristics of SSc pts with prior or current digital ulcers vs those never affected
Identification of digital ulcer was through clinical features:
- Rodnan skin scores
- Pulmonary function test results, and
- Clinical and immunological data

Results

317/599 SSc pts had prior or current digital ulcers; these pts were:
- More frequently male
- Had impaired diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO), and
- Higher Rodnan skin scores
  than patients never affected by digital ulcers
Multivariate analysis- features associated with prior or current digital ulcers:
- male gender, early onset of SSc,
- increased duration of SSc, high Rodnan skin score, and
- presence of anti-topoisomerase I antibodies (anti-topo I)
Affected pts had increased duration of SSc, impaired DLCO, increased Rodnan score, and younger age at onset of SSc