PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Olga Kaloudi
AU  - Francesca Bandinelli
AU  - Emilio Filippucci
AU  - Maria Letizia Conforti
AU  - Irene Miniati
AU  - Serena Guiducci
AU  - Francesco Porta
AU  - Antonio Candelieri
AU  - Domenico Conforti
AU  - Genesio Grassiri
AU  - Walter Grassi
AU  - Marco Matucci-Cerinic
TI  - High frequency ultrasound measurement of digital dermal thickness in systemic sclerosis
AID  - 10.1136/ard.2009.114843
DP  - 2010 Jun 01
TA  - Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
PG  - 1140--1143
VI  - 69
IP  - 6
4099  - http://ard.bmj.com/content/69/6/1140.short
4100  - http://ard.bmj.com/content/69/6/1140.full
SO  - Ann Rheum Dis2010 Jun 01; 69
AB  - Background Currently, assessment of dermal thickness in systemic sclerosis (SSc) is performed by palpation and assessment using the modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS). Objective To verify whether high frequency ultrasound (US) may be a reliable and a reproducible method to measure digital dermal thickness. Methods In 70 patients with SSc, skin thickness was evaluated with US by 2 observers at 2 different sites on the second digit of the dominant limb to determine the interobserver variability. Patients and controls were examined twice by the first observer for intraobserver variability. Patients were divided into three subgroups according to the phase of the disease (oedematous, fibrotic or atrophic). Results At both examined areas, US showed a significant dermal thickening (p<0.001) in the whole group of patients with SSc. A low intraobserver and interobserver variability was found. A highly significant correlation between the global mRSS and the local dermal thickness at the two examined sites (p=0.032, p=0.021) was detected. Skin thickness was significantly higher in the oedematous than in the fibrotic group (p<0.001) and significantly higher in the fibrotic and the oedematous group (p<0.001) than in the atrophic group (p<0.002). Conclusions US is a reliable tool giving reproducible results, and is able to detect digital dermal thickening in SSc.