[Various aspects of the differential diagnosis of a pulmonary syndrome in systemic scleroderma and chronic aspecific lung diseases].

A comparative clinicoinstrumental study of the cardiorespiratory system in 29 patients with systemic scleroderma (SSD) and 56 patients with chronic nonspecific pulmonary diseases (CNPD) made it possible to specify the genesis of roentgenomorphological and functional pulmonary changes in SSD and to work out some clinical and functional tests to differentiate between the sclerodermic lung and CNPD. It was emphasized that differential diagnosis of the pulmonary syndrome in SSD and concomitant pulmonary pathology should be based on a combined study not only of clinical and x-ray findings but also of indices of pulmonary ventilation, hemodynamics of the greater and lesser circulation. A conclusion was made of the leading role of bronchial obstruction in the pathogenesis of hemodynamic pulmonary disorders in CNPD and the primary vascular and cardiac components in SSD.