Features of clinical symptoms and course of systemic sclerosis specific for sex and age of onset

Abstract

Aim. To define clinical features of systemic sclerosis (SS) in age and sex aspects. Material and methods. The study covered 100 patients aged 15 to 83 years with SS (24 males and 76 females) lasting for 1-15 years (mean 6.2 ± 4.1 years). Groups of females and males, with disease onset age under 50 years (32 years) and over 50 years were compared. Results. Males had a prevalent diffuse clinical form ofSS with advanced skin syndrome, primarily indurative alterations, marked disturbances of microcirculation, abnormal heart rhythm and conduction, interstitial pulmonary fibrosis with development of pulmonary hypertension. The patients with late SS onset are characterized by development of visceral pathology within the first 3 years of the disease. Conclusion. In making SS diagnosis and in the disease treatment it is necessary to consider the patients ' sex and age, peculiarities of the debute, clinical picture, course and prognosis.

Keywords

• systemic sclerosis
• the disease onset
• age-sex characteristics