Clinical significance of subcutaneous calcinosis in patients with systemic sclerosis. Does diltiazem induce its regression?
Ann Rheum Dis
; 57(4): 252-4, 1998 Apr.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-9709184
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
To establish whether diltiazem reduces subcutaneous calcinosis (SCC) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), and whether this calcinosis is related to other signs or symptoms.METHODS:
47 patients with SSc were evaluated and divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of SCC.RESULTS:
Among the 12 patients with SCC who were treated with diltiazem and had sequential hand radiographs (differential time between the two radiographs 7.8+/-4 years), there was a slight radiological improvement in three patients only. More patients with SCC had anticentromere antibodies than patients without (p = 0.003), fewer had anti-Scl 70 antibodies (p = 0.01), more had telangiectasia and giant capillaries ( p + 0.04 and 0.048 respectively), and SCC patients had significantly fewer capillaries at the nailfold (p = 0.03).CONCLUSION:
These results do not clearly indicate that diltiazem is effective in calcinosis associated with SSc. Among the patients with SSc, those who also had SCC exhibited a distinctive autoimmune profile and more severe cutaneous capillary injury than those without SCC.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Escleroderma Sistêmico
/
Dermatopatias Metabólicas
/
Calcinose
/
Bloqueadores dos Canais de Cálcio
/
Diltiazem
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
1998
Tipo de documento:
Article