Patients with limited scleroderma will have had Raynaud's for years, occasionally decades and there will be skin involvement to the hands, face, feet and forearms.
In the early 1900’s several physicians noted a group of features often seen when they examined patients with scleroderma (systemic sclerosis). They coined the term CREST syndrome. This is now known as limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis.
The word CREST stands for 5 symptoms which patients may experience:
C - Calcinosis which is an accumulation of calcium below the outer layer of the skin.
R - Raynaud’s phenomenon - a condition in which the blood supply to the extremities, usually the fingers and toes, is temporarily interrupted.
E - Esophageal (gullet) involvement, causing difficulty in swallowing or indigestion.
S - Sclerodactyly is when the skin of the digits becomes thin, shiny and leathery looking. Fingers and toes may become flexed and stiff.
T - Telangiectasia is the appearance of small blood vessels near the surface of the skin. These can be seen on the fingers, palms, lips, face, tongue and chest wall.
Patients with limited disease need checking every 6-12 months, depending on the stability of the disease. Pulmonary hypertension is recognised as a lethal complication of all forms of systemic sclerosis but especially in the limited form of the condition.
To download further information on Limited Cutaneous Systemic Sclerosis (lcSSc) click here
For information on calcinosis click here.
Wednesday, 08 September 2010
The Cool Million!!
To celebrate the charity’s 30th Anniversary in 2012, the RSA is aiming to raise a total of one million pounds for research over the next two years. The money will be used to fund several projects into Raynaud's and scleroderma. People with these conditions will be given an opportunity to send in suggestions as to what they feel are the most important areas of research that they would like to see funded. These ideas will then be considered by the trustees and medical advisers. One of the aims is to generate enthusiasm amongst the medical profession throughout the UK, in order to help find better treatments and ultimately a cure. To find out more click here.