Systemic sclerosis & Raynaud's
Clinical characteristics and risk factors for calcinosis cutis in systemic sclerosis: insights from the EUSTAR database
Authors' conclusion
CaC is common and progressive; clinical risk factors may provide insights into the pathogenesis.
Study context
- Population
- EUSTAR database-registered SSc patients with available information on their Calcinosis Cutis (CaC) status
- Participants
- 7,114 patients
- Exposure
- SSc with vs without CaC at baseline; predictors of CaC development at 5 and 10 years
- Outcome
- Associations of CaC with SSc clinical characteristics; risk factors for CaC development
- Follow-up
- 5 and 10 years
Methodological detailsEUSTAR registry, multicentre registry, logistic regression
- EUSTAR registry
- Multicentre registry
- Logistic regression
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
CaC at baseline (prevalence) and development in patients without baseline CaC
CaC at baseline
11.9%
Developed CaC within 5 years (n=1010 without baseline CaC)
40%
Developed CaC within 10 years (n=997 without baseline CaC)
46%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Characteristics associated with CaC at baseline
- More frequently female, longer disease duration, higher mRSS, telangiectasia, digital ischaemia, late capillaroscopy patterns, joint contractures, tendon friction rubs, GI involvement
- all P < 0.001
- Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)
- P = 0.02
- Joint synovitis and renal crisis
- both P = 0.04
- ACA positivity
- P < 0.001
- Anti-PM/Scl positivity
- P = 0.03
Predictors of CaC development at 5 years
- Longer disease duration, OR
- 1.04
- Cardiac involvement, OR
- 1.63
- Late capillaroscopy pattern, OR
- 1.70
- Telangiectasia, OR
- 1.92
- Digital ulcers, OR
- 2.60
- PAH, OR
- 2.10
Predictors of CaC development at 10 years
- Longer disease duration, OR
- 1.03
- dcSSc, OR
- 1.51
- Female gender, OR
- 1.85
- Telangiectasia, OR
- 1.92
- Digital ulcers, OR
- 2.92
Original publication
Clinical characteristics and risk factors for calcinosis cutis in systemic sclerosis: insights from the EUSTAR database. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 6 April 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →