Systemic sclerosis - Diagnosis and classification

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a polymorphic and heterogenic systemic disorder with inflammation, fibrosis and vascular damage. Early diagnosis and classification may be difficult if disease expression is oligosymptomatic (undifferentiated), presenting with only Raynaud's phenomenon or limited scleroderma. Scleroderma specific antinuclear autoantibodies, which are present early and persistently in about 90% of the patients with SSc, play an important taxonomic role. Scleroderma specific findings in nailfold capillary microscopy are sensitive and predictive for evolving SSc. An algorithm will be presented for the diagnosis and classification of SSc using clinical, capillaroscopic and serologic criteria, which are also useful for mixed or special forms of SSc. The 6th Outcome Meaures in Rheumatoloty Clinical Trials (OMERACT) conference proposed different outcome measurements for clinical studies, however, for daily clinical practice there is as yet no consensus on status indices for disease activity, disease related damage or suitable prognostic criteria. © Springer Medizin Verlag 2006.