BACKGROUND: Systemic sclerosis or scleroderma is a rare collagen disease presenting several cutaneous manifestations. OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence of cutaneous manifestations in systemic sclerosis and its subtypes (limited form, diffuse form and overlap syndrome). METHODS: We studied 32 patients with scleroderma (20 with the limited form; 8 with the diffuse form and 4 with overlap syndrome) considering skin sclerosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, digital scars, telangiectasia, leucomelanoderma (pigmentary changes), microstomy, calcinosis and pruritus. RESULTS: We found skin sclerosis and Raynaud's phenomenon in 100% of patients, digital scars in 65.6%, telangiectasia in 43.7%, pigmentary changes in 43.7%, microstomy in 31.25%, pruritus in 28.1% and calcinosis in 12.5%. No statistically significant differences were observed in the limited and diffuse forms of scleroderma (p = 1.0 for digital scars; p = 0.69 for teleangiectasis; p = 0.22 for microstomy; p = 1.0 for calcinosis and pruritus). The overlap syndrome was not different from the isolated forms (limited and diffuse) of systemic sclerosis. CONCLUSION: The most common skin manifestations in scleroderma are skin sclerosis and Raynaud's phenomenon and calcinosis is the rarest. The other cutaneous manifestations presented similar frequency in all subtypes of scleroderma.
Mixed connective tissue disease; Scleroderma, diffuse; Scleroderma, limited; Scleroderma, systemic
