Musculoskeletal Key

Scleroderma renal crisis is a rare complication of systemic sclerosis (SSc) that remains severe. Prompt recognition and initiation of therapy with an angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor offer the best chance to achieve…

The gastrointestinal tract, affecting more than 90% of patients, is the internal organ most frequently involved in systemic sclerosis. Any part of the gastrointestinal tract can be affected, from the…

Although scleroderma-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) is a significant contributor to both morbidity and mortality, its pathogenesis is largely unclear. Pulmonary function tests and high-resolution computed tomographic scanning continue to…

The skin is the most common organ system involved in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Nearly all patients experience cutaneous symptoms, including sclerosis, Raynaud’s phenomenon, digital ulcers, telangiectasias, and calcinosis….

The American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) criteria for the classification of systemic sclerosis (SSc) were developed to classify more patients with SSc for studies and improve…

Systemic sclerosis is a multisystem disorder with a high associated mortality. The hallmark abnormalities of the disease are in the immune system, vasculature, and connective tissue. Systemic sclerosis occurs in…

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex autoimmune disease that occurs in a genetically susceptible host. Genetic studies performed so far reveal that multiple genetic loci contribute to disease susceptibility in…

Maureen D. Mayes, MD, MPH, Editor Since the last issue of Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North America on systemic sclerosis (SSc, scleroderma), there have been great advances in our understanding…

Michael H. Weisman, MD, Consulting Editor Systemic Sclerosis (SSC), of all of the rheumatic diseases, is clearly the most challenging in terms of early diagnosis, understanding its pathogenesis, managing the…