ARTHRITIS IN SCLERODERMA

Thirty-four patients (24 females and 10 males) selected from300 consecutive patients with established systemic sclerosis(SSc), with a current or past history of articular symptoms,were clinically documented and further studied using thermographyand bone scan to define the pattern of arthritis. Clinical evidenceof synovitis was observed in 30 (88%) and joint inflammationwas detected in 31 (91%) by the above-mentioned imaging techniques.A distinctive subset of 10 patients with deforming arthritiswas characterized in which seven (70%) patients fulfilled criteriafor both rheumatoid arthritis and SSC; three of these satisfiedthe criteria for diagnosis of CREST, but none met the criteriaof mixed connective tissue disease. These patients, as a group,when compared with the rest showed limited skin involvement(skin score of 19 ± 11 vs 33 ± 14; P < 0.05)and were positive for rheumatoid factor (80 vs 13%; P < 0.05)and anticentromere antibodies (37 vs 4%; P < 0.05). KEY WORDS: Scleroderma, Arthritis, Thermography, Bone scan