title: Retinal findings in systemic sclerosis: a comparison with nailfold capillaroscopic patterns.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of retinal disease in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and to characterise the findings of retinopathy. Additionally, to analyse the association of retinal disease with other clinical/laboratory findings, particularly the findings of nailfold capillaries in patients with SSc.
  
  
  METHODS
  Photographs of the ocular fundi were taken and were evaluated by an ophthalmologist who was unaware of the SSc status of the patients. The nailfold capillaries were analysed with a dermatoscope. Patients were divided into two groups according to the presence (group A) or absence (group B) of retinal disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Retinal findings of the patients with SSc consisted of hard exudates, vascular tortuosity, microhaemorrhage, and macular degeneration. The prevalence of retinal disease among the patients with SSc was 34% (10/29), compared with 8%(3/38) among the controls (p=0.011). The mean systolic blood pressure and the age of the patients in group A were significantly higher than those in group B. However, there was no significant difference in the nailfold capillary damage between groups A and B.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Retinal abnormalities are often seen in patients with SSc and they may reflect the vascular changes characteristic of SSc. However, retinal changes may differ in quality from the changes of nailfold capillaries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Saga Medical School, Japan. ushiyama@post.saga-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ushiyama
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ushiyama
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koarada
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tada
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagasawa
mesh_terms: D002196:Capillaries / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009262:Nails / Q000098:blood supply*; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology