Cutaneous manifestations of mixed connective tissue disease: study from a tertiary care hospital in eastern India.
BACKGROUND
Mixed connective tissue disorder is an uncommon disease. Some scientists are reluctant to recognize it as a separate entity. Some others have defined this ailment. Cutaneous features of this condition are unique. Researchers from India have described these features to relate to those described in the studies from other parts of the globe.


OBJECTIVE
This study aims to delineate the skin manifestations of clearly defined mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) patients, to compare them with those established as overlap syndrome, and to relate them with studies from other parts of the globe.


METHODS
Successive patients who fulfilled the specific criteria for MCTD presenting in the skin outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital in eastern India were clinically examined from 2009 for 3 years.


METHODS
The number of participants was 23 and the dermatological features of these were compared with 22 patients with overlap syndrome. The antibody to uridine-rich U1 ribonucleoprotein was measured for all patients.


METHODS
SPSS (Version 17) and MedCalc (Version 11.6).


RESULTS
THE MALE: Female ratio among the MCTD patients was 1:6.67 and that of the overlap syndrome was 1:10. Twenty patients of the MCTD group presented with synovitis as against only seven in the overlap group. Raynaud's phenomenon was present in some of the subjects. Puffy fingers were rare in our study. Facial numbness was reported by four of those suffering from MCTD. Antinuclear antibody (ANA) was essentially of a speckled pattern in this disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Cutaneous indicators of MCTD are distinct from overlap syndrome. Knowledge of these manifestations prevalent in a region may lead to early diagnosis of the disease.
Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy, The Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education and Research and Seth Sukhlal Karnani Memorial Hospital, Salt Lake City, Kolkata, India.
Sumit
S
Sen
Department of Rheumatology, The Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education and Research and Seth Sukhlal Karnani Memorial Hospital, Salt Lake City, Kolkata, India.
Pradyot
P
Sinhamahapatra
Department of Pharmacology, The Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education and Research and Seth Sukhlal Karnani Memorial Hospital, Salt Lake City, Kolkata, India.
Supriyo
S
Choudhury
Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy, The Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education and Research and Seth Sukhlal Karnani Memorial Hospital, Salt Lake City, Kolkata, India.
Anusree
A
Gangopadhyay
Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy, The Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education and Research and Seth Sukhlal Karnani Memorial Hospital, Salt Lake City, Kolkata, India.
Sanchaita
S
Bala
Department of Rheumatology, The Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education and Research and Seth Sukhlal Karnani Memorial Hospital, Salt Lake City, Kolkata, India.
Geetabali
G
Sircar
Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy, The Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education and Research and Seth Sukhlal Karnani Memorial Hospital, Salt Lake City, Kolkata, India.
Gobinda
G
Chatterjee
Department of Rheumatology, The Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education and Research and Seth Sukhlal Karnani Memorial Hospital, Salt Lake City, Kolkata, India.
Alakendu
A
Ghosh
Autoimmune disease; inflammatory myositis; mixed connective tissue disease; overlap syndromes; sausage fingers; synovitis