Search

Background: Skin tightness is a hallmark of systemic sclerosis (SSc), and the fingers are an affected body part, so much so that fingerprints can be significantly affected among those with extensive skin tightness of the finger. Objective: We aimed to compare the difference between the current and past (pre-disease onset) fingerprints of SSc patients. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among adult SSc patients who attended the Scleroderma Clinic, Khon Kaen University, between October 2019, and September 2020. All eligible patients consented to obtaining their current and previous prints from the Central Registration Bureau, Department of Provincial Administration, Ministry of the Interior. The current prints were obtained using the Crossmatch (Lite UE) live scan from the Central Institute of Forensic Science of Thailand. We investigated the concordance between the prints before disease onset and the current (enroll date) via the Printquest AFIS system with officers from the Central Institute of Forensic Science, Thailand. Results: One hundred SSc patients, according to the sample size calculation, were enrolled (mean age 59.4 ± 9.6 years; 66% female). Most (70%) had the diffuse cutaneous SSc subset. A respective 59%, 55%, and 6% presented acro-osteolysis, hand deformities, and digital ulcers. Some challenges were experienced in obtaining prints from patients with loss of the fingertip fat pad, finger joint contracture, and/or acro-osteolysis; notwithstanding, all fingerprints were usable and without individualized changes. Conclusion: Fingerprints were affected by fingertip lesions and finger joint contractures; notwithstanding, the prints remained usable for personal identification. Key Points • Skin involvement in systemic sclerosis (SSc) affects the prints, particularly at the fingertip. • Despite disease onset, the fingerprints of SSc patients do not change significantly. • Fingerprints are inadequate for personal identification among SSc patients with hand deformities due to poor quality or difficulty acquiring them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are common in SSc. The severity of symptoms can affect the quality of life (QOL); however, LUTS is often neglected during routine assessments. We determined the prevalence of moderate to severe LUTS in SSc and its associated factors. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted between March 2020 and June 2020. Adult SSc patients were enrolled from the Scleroderma Clinic, Khon Kaen University, Thailand. All completed a self-administered questionnaire on LUTS using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), categorized into absent, mild, moderate or severe LUTS. In addition, we investigated the factors associated with moderate to severe LUTS, and the correlation between IPSS-QOL score and IPSS severity. Results A total of 135 patients were enrolled. Most cases were female (87 cases; 64.4%) and had dcSSc (88 cases; 65.2%). Twenty-six were defined as having moderate to severe LUTS, for a prevalence of 19.3% (95% CI 13.0, 26.9%). In addition, most had storage symptoms (63.0%), followed by voiding symptoms (19.3%) and post-voiding symptoms (12.6%). The factors associated with moderate to severe LUTS per the multivariable logistic regression included a modified Rodnan skin score ≥20 points and gastrointestinal symptoms with adjusted odds ratios 7.64 and 5.78, respectively. In addition, the IPSS-QOL score had a moderate positive correlation with IPSS severity (rho  =   0.560, P <  0.001). Conclusion Moderate to severe LUTS occurred in about one-fifth of SSc patients, particularly those with extensive skin tightness and gastrointestinal involvement. The more severe the LUTS, the poorer the QOL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]