OBJECTIVE: A large proportion of patients with limited systemic sclerosis (SSc) do not meet the current American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria for SSc. We undertook this study to determine whether the addition of easily available clinical variables, namely nailfold capillary abnormalities identified using a dermatoscope and visible telangiectasias, could improve the sensitivity of the current ACR classification criteria for patients with limited SSc. METHODS: Patients in the Canadian Scleroderma Research Group Registry with skin involvement distal to the metacarpophalangeal joints were identified and divided into two groups according to whether they fulfilled the current ACR classification criteria for SSc or not. Sensitivity of the criteria was calculated. Regression tree analysis was performed to determine whether the addition of nailfold capillary abnormalities identified using a dermatoscope and visible telangiectasias could improve the sensitivity of the criteria. RESULTS: One hundred and one (101) patients were included, in majority women with a mean age of 59 (+/- 13). Of these, 68 (67%) met the ACR classification criteria. The sensitivity of the criteria increased from 67% to 99% with the addition of nailfold capillary abnormalities identified using a dermatoscope and visible telangiectasias. CONCLUSIONS: The SSc research community would benefit from having better classification criteria to identify patients with limited SSc. The current classification criteria for SSc may be significantly improved by the inclusion of easily identified clinical variables including nailfold capillary abnormalities using a dermatoscope.
OBJECTIVE: A large proportion of patients with limited systemic sclerosis (SSc) do not meet the current American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria for SSc. We undertook this study to determine whether the addition of easily available clinical variables, namely nailfold capillary abnormalities identified using a dermatoscope and visible telangiectasias, could improve the sensitivity of the current ACR classification criteria for patients with limited SSc. METHODS:Patients in the Canadian Scleroderma Research Group Registry with skin involvement distal to the metacarpophalangeal joints were identified and divided into two groups according to whether they fulfilled the current ACR classification criteria for SSc or not. Sensitivity of the criteria was calculated. Regression tree analysis was performed to determine whether the addition of nailfold capillary abnormalities identified using a dermatoscope and visible telangiectasias could improve the sensitivity of the criteria. RESULTS: One hundred and one (101) patients were included, in majority women with a mean age of 59 (+/- 13). Of these, 68 (67%) met the ACR classification criteria. The sensitivity of the criteria increased from 67% to 99% with the addition of nailfold capillary abnormalities identified using a dermatoscope and visible telangiectasias. CONCLUSIONS: The SSc research community would benefit from having better classification criteria to identify patients with limited SSc. The current classification criteria for SSc may be significantly improved by the inclusion of easily identified clinical variables including nailfold capillary abnormalities using a dermatoscope.
Authors: Juan C Arana-Ruiz; Luis H Silveira; Diana Castillo-Martínez; Luis M Amezcua-Guerra Journal: Clin Rheumatol Date: 2015-11-11 Impact factor: 2.980
Authors: Frank van den Hoogen; Dinesh Khanna; Jaap Fransen; Sindhu R Johnson; Murray Baron; Alan Tyndall; Marco Matucci-Cerinic; Raymond P Naden; Thomas A Medsger; Patricia E Carreira; Gabriela Riemekasten; Philip J Clements; Christopher P Denton; Oliver Distler; Yannick Allanore; Daniel E Furst; Armando Gabrielli; Maureen D Mayes; Jacob M van Laar; James R Seibold; Laszlo Czirjak; Virginia D Steen; Murat Inanc; Otylia Kowal-Bielecka; Ulf Müller-Ladner; Gabriele Valentini; Douglas J Veale; Madelon C Vonk; Ulrich A Walker; Lorinda Chung; David H Collier; Mary Ellen Csuka; Barri J Fessler; Serena Guiducci; Ariane Herrick; Vivien M Hsu; Sergio Jimenez; Bashar Kahaleh; Peter A Merkel; Stanislav Sierakowski; Richard M Silver; Robert W Simms; John Varga; Janet E Pope Journal: Arthritis Rheum Date: 2013-10-03
Authors: Sindhu R Johnson; Jaap Fransen; Dinesh Khanna; Murray Baron; Frank van den Hoogen; Thomas A Medsger; Christine A Peschken; Patricia E Carreira; Gabriela Riemekasten; Alan Tyndall; Marco Matucci-Cerinic; Janet E Pope Journal: Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken) Date: 2012-03 Impact factor: 4.794
Authors: Lorenzo Beretta; Blanca Rueda; Maurizio Marchini; Alessandro Santaniello; Carmen P Simeón; Vicente Fonollosa; Monica Caronni; Raquel Rios-Fernandez; Patricia Carreira; Luis Rodriguez-Rodriguez; Antonia Moreno; Miguel A López-Nevot; Ana Escalera; Maria F González-Escribano; Javier Martin; Raffaella Scorza Journal: Rheumatology (Oxford) Date: 2011-11-15 Impact factor: 7.580
Authors: Sindhu R Johnson; Raymond P Naden; Jaap Fransen; Frank van den Hoogen; Janet E Pope; Murray Baron; Alan Tyndall; Marco Matucci-Cerinic; Christopher P Denton; Oliver Distler; Armando Gabrielli; Jacob M van Laar; Maureen Mayes; Virginia Steen; James R Seibold; Phillip Clements; Thomas A Medsger; Patricia E Carreira; Gabriela Riemekasten; Lorinda Chung; Barri J Fessler; Peter A Merkel; Richard Silver; John Varga; Yannick Allanore; Ulf Mueller-Ladner; Madelon C Vonk; Ulrich A Walker; Susanna Cappelli; Dinesh Khanna Journal: J Clin Epidemiol Date: 2014-04-08 Impact factor: 6.437