[Epidemiological, clinical and evolutionary peculiarities of interstitial lung disease in systemic sclerosis]

Pulmonary involvement during systemic sclerosis (SS) is dominated by interstitial lung disease and arterial pulmonary hypertension. It is about a retrospective study analyzing 65 cases of SS over a period of 13 years. We compared cases with and without interstitial lung disease. The diagnosis of SS was retained according to American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/EULAR 2013 criteria. The diagnosis of interstitial lung disease was retained in TDM and EFR. Pulmonary hypertension is defined by a pulmonary arterial pression higher than 25 mmHg. The mean delay of diagnosis of interstitial lung disease and the diagnosis was of 48 months (extremes 0-78 months). The comparison between both groups according to average age of the patients, prevalence of pulmonary hypertension, frequency of Raynaud phenomenon and trophic disorders did not find any significant difference. Lung involvement was associated with an esophageal involvement in 71% of the cases (P=0.059). Antibodies anti-Scl 70 were noted more frequently in patient's with interstitial lung disease (79% of the cases, P=0.001). Patients were treated with colchicine and vitamin E. A corticotherapy had been indicated at a single patient. The evolution of SS was marked by the stabilisation of the restrictive syndrome in 71.8% of the cases and a worsening in 25% of the cases. Early and appropriate diagnosis of SS and screening of lung involvement are essential for a early care.