SAT0252 AN EVALUATION OF THREE DIFFERENT METHODS TO EVALUATE SKIN IMPAIRMENT IN SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS PATIENTS. (June 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ruaro, Barbara; Smith, Vanessa; Paolino, Sabrina; Pizzorni, Carmen; Soldano, Stefano; Casabella, Andrea; Patanè, Massimo; Alessandri, Elisa; Sulli, Alberto; Cutolo, Maurizio
• Is Part Of: Annals of the rheumatic diseases. Volume 78(2019)Supplement 2
• Page Start: 1202
• Page End: 1202
• Publication Date: 2019-06
• Subjects: Rheumatism -- Periodicals; 616.723005
• DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2019-eular.1739
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0003-4967

Abstract

Abstract : Background: One of the characteristics of systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an increase in dermal thickness (DT) (1-3). Although the standard method to evaluate the extent of skin involvement is the modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) (3, 4), high frequency ultrasounds (US) and the plicometer skin test (Plicometry) (5-8) are now being used in SSc patients. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine any correlations between mRSS, US and Plicometry during the evaluation of skin impairment in SSc patients. Methods: A total of 63 SSc patients (mean age 64±13SD years, mean SSc duration 7±6 years) and 63 healthy subjects (HS) (mean age 64±12SD years) were enrolled. The three methods (mRSS, US and Plicometry) were used to evaluate skin impairment in the seventeen areas of the skin usually evaluated by mRSS (face, fingers, dorsum of hands, forearms, arms, chest, abdomen, thighs, legs and feet) and the total score was calculated, as previously reported (1, 3, 4, 8). Intra-rater reliability of the three techniques was assessed by having the same rater performing 2 consecutive measurements at each skin site. Statistical evaluation was performed by non-parametric tests. Results: A significant positive correlation was observed between the three methods used to evaluate DT in the SSc patients (mRSS vs US r=0.64, p<0.0001; mRSS vs Plicometry r=0.97, p<0.0001; US vs Plicometry r=0.55, p<0.0001). Conversely, there was no correlation between these parameters in the CNT group (p>0.05). The intraclass correlation coefficients for mRSS was 0.95, 0.97 for US and 0.96 for Plicometry. Data collection for mRSS took almost 10 minutes, 15 minutes for Plicometry and 20 minutes for US. Conclusion: This study demonstrates a significant relationship between mRSS, US and Plicometry in the DT evaluation of SSc patients. The SSc patients had statistically significantly higher values than HS when the 3 techniques were used to evaluate the seventeen skin areas. References: [1] Cutolo M, et al. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2016;30:670-687. [2] Ruaro B, et al. Arthritis Rheumatol 2015; 67 (suppl 10). [3] Clements P, et al. J Rheumatol 1995;22:1281-5. [4] CzirjákL, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2007; 66: 966-9. [5] Hesselstrand R, et al. Rheumatology 2008;47:84-7. [6] Kaloudi O, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2010;69:1140-3. [7] Ruaro B, et al. Microvasc Res. 2018;115:28-33. [8] Parodi MN, et al. Br J Rheumatol. 1997;36:244-50. Disclosure of Interests: None declared