What blood tests show scleroderma?

Antinuclear antibody (ANA) testing is the most important blood test to screen for scleroderma and other connective tissue diseases.

What labs are abnormal with scleroderma?

Blood tests: Elevated levels of immune factors, known as antinuclear antibodies, are found in 95% of patients with scleroderma. Although these antibodies are also present in other autoimmune diseases such as lupus, testing for them in potential scleroderma patients is helpful in assisting with an accurate diagnosis.

Can a blood test detect scleroderma?

A blood test alone cannot diagnose scleroderma. Depending on the clinical situation, additional tests may be done, such as: Pulmonary function tests or breathing tests to measure how well the lungs are working. CT chest scan may also be ordered to evaluate the extent of lung involvement.

What blood tests are positive with scleroderma?

Blood Changes

Approximately 95% of people with systemic scleroderma have a positive antinuclear antibody (ANA) test, but so do people with other autoimmune diseases (97% of people with lupus, as an example). People with localized scleroderma usually have negative ANA.

How can scleroderma be detected?

To diagnose scleroderma, a doctor usually begins by asking you about your symptoms, health, and medical history. The doctor will also examine your skin for signs of hardening and thickening. If you have hard, thickened skin, a dermatologist may perform a skin biopsy to help diagnose you.

Diagnosing Scleroderma | Johns Hopkins

What were your first signs of scleroderma?

Early symptoms may include swelling and itchiness. Affected skin can become lighter or darker in color and may look shiny because of the tightness. Some people also experience small red spots, called telangiectasia, on their hands and face.

What can mimic scleroderma?

However, similar features of hard and thick skin can be seen in other conditions which are often referred to as “scleroderma mimics”. These mimics include eosinophilic fasciitis, nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, scleromyxedema, and scleredema among others.

Where does scleroderma usually start?

Another early sign of systemic scleroderma is puffy or swollen hands before thickening and hardening of the skin due to fibrosis. Skin thickening usually occurs first in the fingers (called sclerodactyly) and may also involve the hands and face.

What does a scleroderma flare feel like?

Common symptoms of scleroderma may include painful joints (arthralgia), morning stiffness, fatigue, and/or weight loss. The intermittent loss (triggered by cold temperatures) of blood supply to the fingers, toes, nose, and/or ears (Raynaud's phenomenon) is an early and frequent complaint of people with scleroderma.

Is ESR elevated in scleroderma?

Conclusion. Elevated ESR and increased IgG were common features of scleroderma patients with PH, and scleroderma patients with SPH were inclined to have pitting scars/ulcers. Pulmonary hypertension, Scleroderma, Doppler echocardiography.

What is Scl 70 on a blood test?

The presence of Scl-70 antibodies (also referred to as topoisomerase I, topo-I or ATA) is considered diagnostic for systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Is it difficult to diagnose scleroderma?

Because scleroderma can take so many forms and affect so many different areas of the body, it can be difficult to diagnose. After a thorough physical exam, your doctor may suggest blood tests to check for elevated levels of certain antibodies produced by the immune system.

What is the pinch test for scleroderma?

“In using a skin scoring system, the physician pinches various parts of the patient's body to test for thickness. The less skin that can be pinched equals a higher score in diagnosing scleroderma,” says Feghali-Bostwick.

Can scleroderma cause low iron levels?

Conclusions Unexplained iron deficiency is frequent in scleroderma patients and a significant number of these patients do not have frank anaemia. Female sex and longer disease duration is associated with iron deficiency.

At what age is scleroderma usually diagnosed?

Age: Most localized types of scleroderma show up before age 40, and systemic types of scleroderma are typically diagnosed between ages 30 and 50.

Does scleroderma affect the legs?

Limited cutaneous scleroderma comes on gradually and usually affects skin on your fingers, hands, face, lower arms, and legs below the knees. It can also cause problems with your blood vessels and esophagus.

Does scleroderma cause weight gain?

Acute localized scleroderma (morphea) can present as severe generalized oedema with rapid weight gain and oliguria.

How does scleroderma affect the feet?

Skin thickening and tightening

Many patients with scleroderma experience patches of thickened skin, and these patches may be found on the feet, commonly on the dorsum (top) of the foot. You may also notice that your skin generally becomes dry and itchy.

What does a scleroderma rash look like?

The patches of hardened skin can be lighter or darker than your natural skin color. Some people develop violet-colored skin, which means that the scleroderma is active and expanding. This patient has darker and lighter (white) areas that are hard to the touch.

How does scleroderma affect the hands?

Share on Pinterest Scleroderma can cause swelling of the hands and thickened skin on the fingers. Scleroderma means “hard skin.” Early symptoms of scleroderma include changes in the fingers and hands, for example, stiffness, tightness, and puffiness because of sensitivity to cold or emotional stress.

What virus causes scleroderma?

One theory suggests that scleroderma is caused by a virus or other infection. For example, a common virus called CMV (cytomegalovirus) is known to infect cells (endothelial cells) that line our blood vessels, which we know are diseased in scleroderma (3).

Can a rheumatologist diagnose scleroderma?

Scleroderma is one of the connective tissue disorders diagnosed and treated primarily by rheumatologists.

Can you test positive for scleroderma and not have it?

While Scl-70 antibodies are considered to be highly specific to systemic sclerosis (SSc), a number of studies [2,3,4,5] have documented that patients without a clear diagnosis of SSc often consistently test positive for Scl-70 antibodies when testing is done by ELISA or Multiplex testing methods.

How fast does scleroderma progress?

In our cohort, 56% of observed progression occurred within 5 years since the first non-Raynaud symptom. While progression in skin involvement occurred more frequently in early disease, the proportion of patients with lung, heart or GI progression was relatively stable over time.

Can you have scleroderma without Raynaud's?

Most people diagnosed with Raynaud's will not develop scleroderma, which only affects 0.1% of everyone who has Raynaud's. This is because the majority of people who are living with Raynaud's will have the primary form, with symptoms of cold hands and feet and painful attacks with changes in temperature.