We describe 4 patients with scleroderma in whom a major clinical feature was a deforming, erosive polyarthritis accompanied by positive tests for rheumatoid factor. In all but 1 case the skin involvement preceded joint symptoms, and in some cases there was evidence of systemic involvement. This destructive arthritis may represent the coexistence of 2 diseases or an extreme form of the inflammat...

Introduction Although there is no universally agreed classification of scleroderma, the following is most generally accepted (Rowell, 1977): (i) morphoea (localized or generalized); (ii) progressive systemic sclerosis; (iii) pseudo scleroderma; (iv) occupational scleroderma. Progressive systemic sclerosis usually begins in middle age, but there is a wide range in the age of onset. Rodnan (1963)...

Systemic sclerosis is a rare autoimmune disorder with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations and a multitude of autoantibodies that are associated with it. In the past several years, advances in serologic testing have led to research indicating important prognostic and phenotypic associations with certain subsets of autoantibodies. In particular, anti-RNA polymerase III (anti-RNAP III) has ...

Systemic sclerosis is a uncommon connective tissue disorder characterized by vascular damage, immune cell activation and fibrogenesis. Each of these components may respond to different therapies. Therefore, a combination strategy treating all three processes is more likely to control the disease than single agent therapy. Clinical trials have gone a long way towards defining the therapy of scle...

Connective tissue disorders occur because of autoimmune-influenced destruction or synthesis of any of the components that are found in these tissues. Systemic involvement of multiple organs is common. Patients are often chronically ill and treated with corticosteroids. Scleroderma or progressive systemic scletosis (PSS) is a generalized disorder of connective tissue characterized by degenerativ...

An inquiry into the relation between exposure to silica dust, the presence of silicosis, and progressive systemic sclerosis was conducted in white South African gold miners by means of a case-control study. Seventy nine cases of progressive systemic sclerosis were matched by year of birth with an equal number of control miners selected randomly but bearing in mind the administrative channel thr...

In systemic sclerosis (SSc), interstitial lung disease (ILD) is common (>80%) and worsens the prognosis of disease, but severe progressive damage develops only in 8–10% cases. Interstitial changes lungs occur early (within first 3–5 years disease). The histological manifestations are similar to those idiopathic ILD. main tool for screening diagnosing ILD associated with SSc high-resolution c...

Several occupational hazards, especially exposure to silica, have been implicated as causal factors for the development of scleroderma-like disorders. Compared to other connective tissue disorders, silica-associated systemic sclerosis (SA-SS) is relatively rare. Silica-induced scleroderma is indistinguishable from idiopathic systemic sclerosis. However, the former expresses a high predispositio...