[Visceral scleroderma]

Visceral involvement in systemic scleroderma is frequent, the most commonly affected organs being the kidney, the lung, the heart and the gastro-intestinal tract; associating different degrees of sclerosis and vasculitis depending on which organ is involved. However, this is not always clinically obvious, and angiospastic phenomena may be assumed to be responsible for certain ischaemic lesions. The diagnosis is also difficult because some visceral lesions may occur at an early stage and appear to be of primary origin. Extensive investigation, including biopsies to demonstrate small vascular changes then becomes essential.