Systemic sclerosis & Raynaud's
Microvascular Damage Is Associated With Carotid Wall Structural Changes in Systemic Sclerosis: A Capillaroscopy and Ultrasound‐Based Observational Study
Authors' conclusion
More severe structural microangiopathy in SSc is associated with bilateral plaques at carotid level.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) undergoing nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) and carotid US
- Participants
- 165 patients
- Exposure
- NVC abnormalities vs carotid US wall alterations
- Outcome
- Relationship between NVC abnormalities and carotid US wall alterations (cIMT, unilateral/bilateral plaques)
Methodological detailsobservational, multivariable logistic regression
- Observational
- Multivariable logistic regression
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Mean bilateral carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) (mm)
- 0.83 ± 0.17
- cIMT ≥0.9 mm
- 52.1%
- Carotid plaques
- 46.7%
- Bilateral plaques
- 20.6%
- Nonscleroderma pattern
- 12.7%
- Early pattern
- 21.8%
- Active pattern
- 30.3%
- Late pattern
- 35.1%
- Late pattern associated with bilateral plaques
- P = 0.021
- Avascular areas associated with bilateral plaques
- P = 0.009
- Capillary density reduction associated with bilateral plaques
- P = 0.021
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Microvascular Damage Is Associated With Carotid Wall Structural Changes in Systemic Sclerosis: A Capillaroscopy and Ultrasound‐Based Observational Study. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). Published 7 September 2026. doi:10.
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