[Changes in esophageal peristalsis in diverse clinical forms and antibody specificity in scleroderma: a scintigraphic study in 100 cases].
OBJECTIVE
To define the prevalence and severity of esophageal involvement in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and its relationship with the different clinical forms and ANA specificities of the disease.


METHODS
A hundred consecutive patients with SSc, 48 with cutaneous limited, 26 with intermediate and 26 with diffuse form of disease, 49 with anti-centromere and 37 with anti-Scl70 ANA pattern, were submitted to scintigraphy using a semisolid orally ingested bolus to detect esophageal hypomotility.


RESULTS
An impairment of esophageal function has been observed in 68% of SSc patients. Esophageal dysmotility was significantly more frequent and severe in patients with cutaneous diffuse and intermediate forms of SSc and with anti-Scl70 ANA pattern.


CONCLUSIONS
Esophageal involvement is very common in SSc. The scintigraphy confirms to be a useful and non invasive diagnostic method; moreover it permits to quantify the severity of the esophageal dysmotility by analyzing both global and segmental function.
Cozzi
F
F
Cattedra e Divisione di Reumatologia, Università di Padua, Italy. franco.cozzi@unipd.it
Zucchetta
P
P
Durigon
N
N
Marzola
M C
MC
Bullo
A
A
Favaro
M
M
Bui
F
F
Todesco
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015154:Esophageal Motility Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004947:Esophagus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear