[The correlations of respiratory function tests, chest roentgenographic manifestations and respiratory symptoms in...

Analytical studies were performed on the respiratory symptoms in 31 systemic sclerosis cases. Respiratory symptoms were expressed by scores from 1) coughs, 2) difficulties in walking, 3) difficulties in ascending, 4) dyspnea . In early stage cases with slight clinical symptoms, %VC was always normal, but %DLco was generally reduced. Because of good correlation between respiratory functions and clinical symptom scores, it is available to use the scores as well as %DLLco and %VC to diagnose slight lung involvement in systemic sclerosis. Also the clinical symptom scores are related to the roentgenographic manifestations of lung fibrosis which are characteristic in systemic sclerosis. Therefore we felt that this system of clinical symptom scores was useful to follow-up the patients.