Palici Camelia, Ciurea Paulina Lucia, Bita Cristina Elena, Barbulescu Andreea Lili, Florescu Alesandra, Musetescu Anca Emanuela, Vreju Florentin, Dinescu Stefan Cristian
Doctoral School, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 2 Petru Rares Street, 200349 Craiova, Romania.
Department of Rheumatology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 2 Petru Rares Street, 200349 Craiova, Romania.
J Pers Med. 2024 Jul 8;14(7):734. doi: 10.3390/jpm14070734.
This study aims to analyze the changes in dermal thickness in patients with systemic scleroderma (SSc) in comparison with normal skin and also compare clinical forms with diffuse and limited cutaneous involvement. The study group consisted of female patients diagnosed with SSc with a disease history not exceeding 5 years. The areas of interest for ultrasound examination included the proximal phalanx of the third finger, the second intermetacarpal space, and the extension surface of the lower third of the forearm. The study included 20 patients diagnosed with SSc and 14 controls. SSc patients were subdivided into two subgroups based on the clinical form. Compared to the control group, patients with SSc had higher mean measurements in all three skin areas, with statistically significant differences in the hand and forearm areas. Patients with diffuse SSc displayed, on average, higher skin thickness compared to limited SSc in all skin areas examined, with a statistically significant difference only in the forearm area. Based on disease manifestations, significant differences were observed only with regard to the presence of pulmonary hypertension in the diffuse SSc group. In conclusion, skin ultrasound is a useful and accessible imaging method for diagnosing and quantifying dermal fibrosis in systemic scleroderma.
本研究旨在分析系统性硬化症（SSc）患者与正常皮肤相比真皮厚度的变化，并比较弥漫性和局限性皮肤受累的临床类型。研究组由确诊为SSc且病程不超过5年的女性患者组成。超声检查的感兴趣区域包括第三指近节指骨、第二掌骨间隙和前臂下三分之一的伸侧表面。该研究纳入了20例确诊为SSc的患者和14例对照。SSc患者根据临床类型分为两个亚组。与对照组相比，SSc患者在所有三个皮肤区域的平均测量值更高，在手和前臂区域有统计学显著差异。在所有检查的皮肤区域，弥漫性SSc患者的平均皮肤厚度高于局限性SSc患者，仅在前臂区域有统计学显著差异。基于疾病表现，仅在弥漫性SSc组中观察到肺动脉高压存在方面的显著差异。总之，皮肤超声是一种用于诊断和量化系统性硬化症真皮纤维化的有用且可及的成像方法。
