The critical need for accurately defining digital ulcers in scleroderma

J scleroderma relat disord 2017; 2(2): 69 – 71

Article Type: EDITORIAL

DOI:10.5301/jsrd.5000238

Authors

Wendy Li, Tracy M. Frech

Abstract

Digital ulcers are one of the key predictors of disease progression and quality of life in patients with systemic sclerosis. Choosing the right treatment for the individual patient begins at developing a consensus among clinicians of what constitutes a digital ulcer. The aim of this editorial is to describe the high unmet need for a standardized method of defining digital ulcers, which is a major challenge not only for treatment, but also for development of new therapies. We discuss the potential role of ultrasound in the development of a validated definition of digital ulcers in systemic sclerosis.

Disclosures

Financial support: Dr. Frech, K23: Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number K23AR067889. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. VA Merit: The project described was supported by Award Number I01CX001183 from the Clinical Science Research & Development Service of the VA Office of Research and Development.