PRELIMINARY CRITERIA FOR THE CLASSIFICATION OF SYSTEMIC

SCLEROSIS (SCLERODERMA)

MAJOR CRITERIA:

Characteristic skin changes (symmetric thickening, tightening and induration) of the digits and/or the skin proximal to the metacarpophalangeal or metatarsophalangeal joints. The skin abnormalities may extend up the entire extremity, and the face, neck, and trunk may be involved.

MINOR CRITERIA:

Sclerodactyly

Digital pitting scars or loss of substance from the finger pad

Bibasilar pulmonary fibrosis: chest radiographs may show a bilateral reticular pattern of linear or lineonodular densities most pronounced in the basilar portions of the lungs. The lung changes should not be secondary to other primary pulmonary diseases.

These criteria have been established for classifying patients in clinical trials, population surveys, etc. The diagnosis of systemic sclerosis is established if the patient exhibits the one major criteria or two of the minor criteria.