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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffLike other unusual and complex disorders, limited scleroderma can be difficult to diagnose. Signs and symptoms vary widely and often resemble those of other connective tissue and autoimmune diseases. Further complicating matters is that limited scleroderma sometimes occurs with other autoimmune conditions — such as polymyositis, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
Lab tests
A sample of your blood can be tested for antibodies that are frequently found in the blood of people with limited scleroderma. But this isn't a definitive test because not everyone with limited scleroderma has these antibodies.
Skin biopsy
Sometimes doctors take a small sample of skin that's then examined under a microscope in a laboratory. Biopsies can be helpful, but they can't definitively diagnose limited scleroderma.
Other
Along with a blood test and skin biopsy, you may need additional tests to identify lung, heart or gastrointestinal complications.
- Handout on health: Scleroderma. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Scleroderma/default.asp. Accessed March 18, 2009.
- Steen VD. The many faces of scleroderma. Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North America. 2008;34:1.
- Wigley FM. Scleroderma. In: Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/126871837-5/818551240/1492/1032.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2805-5..50293-7--cesec9_13002. Accessed March 19, 2009.
- Raynaud's phenomenon. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Raynauds_Phenomenon/default.asp. Accessed March 18, 2009.
- Interstitial lung disease and pulmonary fibrosis. American Lung Association. http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=2060161&content_id={4350F20F-98E4-403B-A33B-68B20A3C2FBA}¬oc=1. Accessed March 19, 2009.
- Pulmonary hypertension. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/pah/pah_what.html. Accessed March 19, 2009.
- Denton CP. Overview of the treatment and prognosis of systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 20, 2009.
