title: Esophageal damages in systemic scleroderma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to assess the prevalence of esophageal damages and the associations with skin and immunological alterations in patients with scleroderma.
  
  
  METHODS
  a case-series study including 74 patients with scleroderma was carried out in 2003-2006. Patients were recruited at the Rheumatology Unit of the University Hospital Center in Tirana, the Albanian capital city. For all patients, data collection consisted of clinical information, laboratory analyses, as well as a radioscopy of esophagus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  about 97% of patients included in our study had esophageal damages. The prevalence of esophageal damages was similar in men and women (80% and 72%, respectively). It was higher among 36-50 year olds as compared with other age-groups. About 74% of esophageal damages were located in its lower part. The prevalence of esophageal damages was about 77% in patients with skin alterations, 76% in AAN-positive patients, and 43% in anti-SCL-70-positive patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  our findings indicate a high prevalence of gastrointestinal damages in patients with scleroderma, which is compatible with reports from elsewhere. Motor dysfunction is the most prevalent esophageal damage in patients with scleroderma.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, University Hospital Center "Mother Teresa", Tirana, Albania. valbonaduraj@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Valbona
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Duraj
authors.forename: Argjent
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tafai
authors.forename: Enver
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roshi
authors.forename: Genc
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Burazeri
authors.forename: Artur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zoto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004935:Esophageal Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000150:complications*