Skin involvement in early diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis: an unmet clinical need.

ABSTRACT: Diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc) is associated with high mortality resulting from early internal-organ involvement. Clinicians therefore tend to focus on early diagnosis and treatment of potentially life-threatening cardiorespiratory and renal disease. However, the rapidly progressive painful, itchy skin tightening that characterizes dcSSc is the symptom that has the greatest effect on patients' quality of life, and there is currently no effective disease-modifying treatment for it. Considerable advances have been made in predicting the extent and rate of skin-disease progression (which vary between patients), including the development of techniques such as molecular analysis of skin biopsy samples. Risk stratification for progressive skin disease is especially relevant now tha

SUBMITTER: Herrick AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8922394 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature