Open AccessGastrointestinal manifestations of systemic sclerosis: An updated review
Author(s) -
Adán Lúquez-Mindiola,
Alexis Javier Atuesta,
Andrés José Gómez Aldana
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
world journal of clinical cases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.368
H-Index - 10
ISSN - 2307-8960
DOI - 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i22.6201
Subject(s) - medicine , gastrointestinal tract , anus , esophagus , gastroenterology , disease , gastrointestinal disease , rectum , scleroderma (fungus) , complication , pathology , surgery , inoculation
Systemic sclerosis is an autoimmune disease characterized by vascular disease, fibrosis of the skin, and internal organ dysfunction. Gastrointestinal involvement is the most frequent complication of internal organs, impacting up to 90% of patients. Gastrointestinal involvement can affect any region of the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus, with a predominance of disorders being observed at the level of the upper digestive tract. The gastrointestinal involvement primarily involves the esophagus, small bowel, and rectum. The severity of gastrointestinal involvement affects quality of life and is a marker of worse prognosis and mortality in these patients. In this review, we describe the current findings regarding gastrointestinal involvement by this entity.