Open AccessSystemic sclerosis: an ultrasonographic study of skin and subcutaneous tissue in relation to clinical findings
Author(s) -
Sedky Manal Mohamed,
Fawzy Samar Mohamed,
Baki Noha Abd El,
Eishi Nermine Hamdi El,
Bohy Abo El Magd Mohamed El
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
skin research and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.521
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 1600-0846
pISSN - 0909-752X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0846.2012.00612.x
Subject(s) - medicine , skin thickness , ultrasound , subcutaneous tissue , high frequency ultrasound , connective tissue disease , subcutaneous fat , scleroderma (fungus) , systemic disease , thickening , radiology , pathology , disease , dermatology , autoimmune disease , adipose tissue , chemistry , polymer science , inoculation
Background Skin thickening and tightness are characteristic manifestations of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and the only major diagnostic criterion. The aim of this study is to compare the results of high frequency ultrasound of skin and subcutaneous tissue (SC) in SSc patients and healthy control subjects and also to correlate our patients†™ US findings with the severity score and with different clinical parameters. Methods Skin thickness and subcutaneous thickness were measured by high frequency (12‐5 MHz) ultrasound at five different anatomical sites in 40 patients with SSc and 40 healthy control subjects. Results were compared with modified Rodnan skin score ( mR ss), with the severity score and with different clinical parameters. Results Patients with SSc had thicker skin than control subjects. Ultrasound measurements correlated with the mR ss as well as the severity score of the disease. The degree of skin thickening tended to diminish with longer disease duration. Also, SSc patients had thinner SC fat thickness than control subjects. Conclusion Ultrasound technique is a reliable noninvasive tool that gives reproducible results for the evaluation of skin and SC tissue involvement in SSc patients, adding a separate dimension to the assessment of disease severity and may be used to identify different phases of skin involvement.