Table 2:
Major Clinical Manifestations of Systemic Scleroderma
  • Cutaneous
    • Skin fibrosis
    • Swollen fingers and hands
    • Flexion contractures and tendon friction rubs
  • Vascular
    • Raynaud's phenomenon and nailfold capillary changes
    • Digital ischemia/ulcers
  • Pulmonary
    • Alveolitis and interstitial fibrosis
    • Pulmonary hypertension
    • Restrictive lung disease (decreased thoracic compliance)
    • Aspiration pneumonitis (esophageal reflux and dysmotility)
  • Cardiac
    • Arrhythmia and conduction disorders (myocardial fibrosis)
    • Heart failure
  • Renal
    • Renal crisis (hypertension, renal failure, microangiopathy)
  • Musculoskeletal/Rheumatologic
    • Arthralgia and myalgias
    • Erosive arthropathy (rare)
    • Median nerve entrapment
  • Gastrointestinal
    • Gastroesophageal reflux and peptic stricture
    • Esophageal dysmotility
    • Gastric bleeding from ectatic vessels
      (gastric antral vascular ectasia, or "watermelon stomach")
    • Malabsorption and diarrhea (bacterial overgrowth)
    • Primary biliary cirrhosis
  • Endocrine
    • Hypothyroidism
Copyright 2004 The Cleveland Clinic Foundation

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