Musculoskeletal involvement in scleroderma.
Scleroderma can be accompanied by arthralgias, inflammatory arthritis, flexion contractures, nerve entrapment, myositis, or myopathy. Antibodies in scleroderma can occur in other connective tissue diseases; overlap syndromes between scleroderma and Sjogren's syndrome, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis are reported. Many of the musculoskeletal symptoms in scleroderma are treated symptomatically; most treatments are not proven in randomized controlled trials in these patients. Musculoskeletal manifestations are a major cause of morbidity and disability in scleroderma.
Pope
Janet E
JE
Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, The University of Western Ontario, Canada. janet.pope@sjhc.london.on.ca
D006801:Humans; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy