The Hidden Impact of Systemic Sclerosis Without Scleroderma

TOPLINE:
Systemic sclerosis sine scleroderma (ssSSc) affects nearly 10% of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), with substantial internal organ involvement. Despite lacking skin fibrosis, patients with ssSSc are at a risk for interstitial lung disease, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and cardiac dysfunction.
METHODOLOGY:
Driven by a fatal case of ssSSc with cardiac involvement, researchers aimed to evaluate its prevalence, severity, and prognosis.
They conducted a systematic literature and qualitative synthesis of 35 studies on SSc cohorts from databases published between 1976 and 2023 that comprised data on the prevalence of SSc with or without organ involvement.
A total of 25,455 patients with SSc were included, with 2437 identified as having ssSSc.
Studies used various classification criteria for SSc, including the 1980 American Rheumatism Association criteria, 2001 LeRoy and Medsger criteria, and 2013 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism criteria, while ssSSc was classified on the basis of the definitions provided by Rodnan and Fennell and also Poormoghim.
The analysis focused on ssSSc prevalence, reclassification rates, and internal organ involvement, including interstitial lung disease, pulmonary arterial hypertension, scleroderma renal crisis, and cardiac dysfunction.
TAKEAWAY:
The overall mean prevalence of ssSSc was 9.6%, with a range of 0%-22.9% across different studies.
Reclassification rates of ssSSc into limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc) or diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc) varied substantially, with some studies reporting rates as high as 27.8% over a 4-year follow-up period.
The mean frequency of internal organ involvement in patients with ssSSc was 46% for interstitial lung disease, 15% for pulmonary arterial hypertension, 5% for scleroderma renal crisis, and 26.5% for cardiac dysfunction — mainly diastolic dysfunction.
The survival rates in patients with ssSSc were similar to those with lcSSc and better than those with dcSSc.
IN PRACTICE:
“The results presented herein suggest a slightly more severe yet similar clinical picture of ssSSc compared to lcSSc [limited cutaneous SSc], while dcSSc [diffuse cutaneous SSc] remains the most severe disease form,” the authors wrote. “Although classification criteria should not impact appropriate management of patients, updated ssSSc subclassification criteria, which will take into account time from disease onset, should be considered,” they further added.
SOURCE:
The study was led by Anastasios Makris, MD, First Department of Propaedeutic & Internal Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Athens, Greece. It was published online on August 15, 2024, in The Journal of Rheumatology.
LIMITATIONS:
The variability in the classification criteria across different studies may affect the comparability of results. The included studies lacked data on cardiac MRI, restricting the identification of myocardial fibrosis patterns and characterization of cardiac disease activity.
DISCLOSURES:
The study did not receive any specific funding. Some authors disclosed having a consultancy relationship, serving as speakers, and receiving funding for research from multiple companies. One author reported having a patent and being a cofounder of CITUS AG.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
 
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