Vibratory perception in patients with generalized scleroderma.

The vibratory perception threshold (VPT) was measured on eight different test-spots in 13 patients suffering from generalized scleroderma of the acrosclerosis type without clinical evidence of peripheral neuropathy. VPT was significantly elevated in skin areas severely involved in the sclerodermic process, whereas normal on test-spots with less affected skin. The pattern of impaired vibratory perception differs from that usually seen in peripheral neuropathy and it is concluded that the pattern most probably reflects the viscous-elastic properties of the test-spots, indicating that cutaneous sclerosis exerts a damping effect on external vibrations. It is suggested that this phenomenon could be utilized as an objective gauge for the severity of the sclerosis.