Early detection of scleroderma spectrum disorders in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon

Fifty patients with the chief complaint of Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) presented at our scleroderma clinic from March to December 1990. Physical examination, routine laboratory tests (blood, urine and chest X-ray), determination of the pattern of RP, antinuclear antibody (ANA) tests and examination for nailfold bleeding were performed. Three patients were diagnosed as having systemic sclerosis sine scleroderma, 15 patients as having RP with positive anticentromere antibody and 6 patients as having an incomplete form of mixed connective tissue disease. Thus, a total of at least 24 patients out of 50 (48%) were shown to have a scleroderma spectrum disorder. A definite RP pattern (triphasic or biphasic and bilateral), positive ANA and positive nailfold bleeding were strongly correlated statistically, suggesting that these are simple useful findings for the early detection of scleroderma spectrum disorders in patients with RP. We expect that there are many undiagnosed patients with an early-stage scleroderma spectrum disorder in the general population.