Localized and systemic forms of scleroderma in adults and children

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) presents a
great deal of variability in the extent
and severity of skin and internal organ
involvement. The diagnostic and prognostic
significance of autoantibodies in
SSc is undisputed and the patient’s autoantibody
profile represents a fundamental
tool for clinicians. Scleroderma
is a rare condition in children. Unlike
adults, localized scleroderma is more
frequent than the systemic sclerosis,
nevertheless it represents a disabling
condition. In both conditions, no validated
outcome measures and proven
effective treatment is available to date.
Raynaud’s phenomenon (RP) is one the
most common and significant clinical
symptoms of SSc and therefore in patients
with RP a capillaroscopic analysis
should be carried out as soon as
possible. The actual and select advantage
of the early nailfold videocapillaroscopic
(NVC) analysis is to distinguish
between the primary RP and the
secondary RP and to allow the early
detection of SSc.