| What is Scleroderma? (MAIN MENU) |
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Common Medical Tests for Scleroderma |
| Author: Shelley Ensz. Scleroderma is highly variable. See Types of Scleroderma. Read Disclaimer |
| These are commonly used for diagnosing or treating symptoms of Systemic Scleroderma |
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Blood Tests |
| Antibody Tests. ISN. |
| Lab Tests Online. A public resource for clinical lab tests. Search for a specific test and learn more about it. Lab Tests Online. |
| Doctor Groups Issue List of Overused Medical Tests. In an effort to change entrenched medical practices, 17 major medical specialty groups recommended on Thursday that doctors greatly reduce their use of 90 widely used but largely unnecessary tests and treatments. New York Times. 02/21/13. |
| Antiphospholipid Antibodies (aPL) And Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor In Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Rheumatoid Arthritis And Systemic Sclerosis. The frequency of aPL was high in rheumatic diseases. The titres of aPL were higher in rheumatic diseases than controls and in patients with APS manifestations than without. A full positive profile with high titres more likely identified patients at higher risk of APS related events. N. A. Fathi AB0974-AHP. EULAR 2008. (Also see: Antibodies) |
Cardiac (Heart) |
| Cardiology Tests and Procedures Dozens of cardiac tests clearly explained, including Cardiac Catheterization, Coronary Artery Bypass Graft, Surgery (CABG), Dobutamine Stress Test, Echocardiogram (ECHO), Electrocardiogram (EKG), Electrophysiology Study (EPS), Heart Valve Disorders, Holter Monitoring, Nuclear Medicine Treadmill, Stress Tests (Cardiolite or Thallium), Nuclear Medicine IV Persantine, Stress Test (IVP), Pacemakers, Percutaneous Transluminal, Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA), Signal-Averaged Electrocardiogram, (SAEKG), Stents, Stress Echocardiogram, Transesophageal Echocardiogram, (TEE), and Treadmill Stress Test. Torrance Memorial Medical Center. |
| Echocardiogram. An echocardiogram (also called an echo) is a type of ultrasound test that uses high-pitched sound waves that are sent through a device called a transducer. The device picks up echoes of the sound waves as they bounce off the different parts of your heart. These echoes are turned into moving pictures of your heart that can be seen on a video screen. WebMD. |
| Electrocardiogram. An electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) is a test that checks for problems with the electrical activity of your heart. WebMD. |
| What Are Holter and Event Monitors? Holter and event monitors are medical devices that record the heart's electrical activity. They are similar to an EKG, both instead of recording the heart's electrical activity for a few second, they record the electrical activity over several days. National Heart Blood and Lung Institute. |
Capillaroscopy |
 However, very few doctors know how to do a nailfold exam! |
Viewing the nailfolds with special instruments can disclose certain abnormalities of the small blood vessels, and specific findings can be very useful in diagnosing, classifying and staging forms of systemic scleroderma. |
| Unfortunately, in the U.S. such testing is frequently not covered by insurance companies, so there is widespread reluctance to do nailfold testing -- even though it is a very quick, easy, noninvasive, and economical way to diagnose and classify systemic forms of scleroderma. |
There are occasional patients with changes visible to naked eye. Unfortunately, many doctors mistake prominent venular system (not signficant) with these changes. About 95% of patients need a nailfold exam with magnifying glass or ophthalmoscope on high diopter with oil or KY jelly on the nailbed to assess properly. However, very few doctors do this or even know how. (Also see: What is Scleroderma? and Symptoms of Scleroderma) |
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| Capillaroscopy : Procedure and nomenclature. Capillaroscopy has high diagnostic and prognostic value in autoimmune connective tissue diseases, in particular systemic sclerosis (SSc). Our working group has developed a consensus on nomenclature, technical equipment, procedure, and diagnostic interpretation of results. O Sander. Z. (PubMed) Z Rheumatol. 2010 May;69(3):253-62. |
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Gastrointestinal |
| Early Endoscopy in Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) Patients Without Gastrointestinal (GI) Symptoms: A Retrospective Analyse. The results of this study might indicate that oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy should be performed early in patients diagnosed with SSc, even if they do not report typical symptoms. Early treatment of GI involvement might improve the prognosis. R. Thonhofer. [SAT0231] EULAR 2009. (Also see: GI Involvement) |
| Esophageal Dilation Esophageal dilatation is the technique used to stretch or open the blocked portion of the esophagus. Jackson Gastroenterology |
General |
| Electromyography (EMG): What Is It, and Does It Hurt? So let's get down to the particulars. An electromyography test involves needles. The needles do puncture the skin. Moreover, they enter muscle tissue. But the testing is done with just one needle at a time and just one muscle at a time. Gary E Cordingley, MD, PhD. |
| Dubious Diagnostic Tests Stephen Barrett, M.D. |
| Scleroderma: Health Services Utilization from Patients' Perspective. Less than half of patients were diagnosed by a rheumatologist and time to diagnosis from onset of symptoms has remained unchanged over the last 3 decades. Despite their complex, multisystemic disease, less than 50% of patients see sub-specialists or had baseline screening tests for organ involvement of their systemic sclerosis. J Rheumatol 2006 June;33:1123–7. (Also see: Difficult Diagnosis) |
Imaging (CT, MRI) |
| Computerized tomography—also called CT, CT scan and CAT scan—is an X-ray technique that produces more detailed images of your internal organs than do conventional X-ray exams. Mayo Clinic. |
| Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a technique that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create cross-sectional images of your head and body. Your doctor uses these detailed, clear images to identify and diagnose a wide range of conditions. Mayo Clinic. |
| As Computed Tomography (CT) Radiation Accumulates, Cancer Risk May Rise. Those who have the most scans over a lifetime face greatest risk, experts say cumulative exposure to radiation from CT scans can increase the risk for cancer by as much as 12 percent.. HealthDay. 03/31/09. |
| Role of imaging in vasculitis and connective tissue diseases. Magnetic resonance imaging is the investigation of choice to detect and monitor brain disease, while computerized tomography is the best procedure for lung disease. However, since most imaging findings are not entirely specific for any given condition, it is important to interpret the results of imaging in the broader clinical context. N. Pipitone MD, PhD. PubMed. Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology Vol 22, Issue 6, December 2008, Pages 1075-1091. (Also see: Connective Tissue Disease and Vasculitis) |
| Toxicity of radiotherapy(RT) in patients with collagen vascular disease(CVD). Although generally well tolerated, RT in the setting of CVD appears to carry a higher risk of late toxicity. (Wiley Interscience) Cancer, 27 May 2008 (Also see: Scleroderma and Cancer) |
Medications |
| The Drug Information Search Page The Detroit Medical Center |
| Medications For others, see the symptoms pages. ISN. |
Pulmonary (Lung) |
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Definition of Chest X-Ray. Chest X-rays produce images of your heart, lungs, blood vessels, ribs and the bones of your spine. If you go to your doctor or the emergency room with chest pain or shortness of breath, chest X-rays can help determine whether you have heart failure, a collapsed lung, pneumonia or broken ribs. Chest X-rays can also reveal fluid in your lungs or in the spaces surrounding your lungs, enlargement of your heart, pneumonia, emphysema, cancer and many other conditions. Mayo Clinic. (Also see: Pulmonary Involvement) |
| Pulmonary Function Tests (PFT) A test designed to measure how well the lungs are working. MedicineNet. |
| Pulmonary Function Tests. Pulmonary function tests are tests performed to make measurements of how your lungs and airways function. Results from pulmonary function tests enable your physician to evaluate your breathing, make diagnosis, recommend treatment and follow your progress. This article tells you how to prepare for the test and how it is conducted. National Jewish Medical and Research Center. |
| Pulmonary Function Testing. Provides information on equipment, procedure and interpretation of pulmonary function tests. Thomas R. Gildea. Cleveland Clinic. |
| An Approach to Interpreting Spirometry. Interpreting spirometry results can be challenging because the quality of the test is largely dependent on patient effort and cooperation, and the interpreter's knowledge of appropriate reference values. A simplified and stepwise method is key to interpreting spirometry. T. J. Barreiro, D.O. and I. Perillo, M.D. American Family Physician. March 2004. |
| Interpreting pulmonary function tests: recognize the pattern, and the diagnosis will follow. Pulmonary function tests cannot by themselves distinguish among the potential causes of abnormalities, and must be interpreted in light of the patient's history, physical examination, and ancillary studies. Once a pattern is recognized, the diagnosis will often follow. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine. October 2003 vol. 70 no. 10 866. |
| Thoracentesis Thoracentesis is a procedure to remove fluid from the space between the lining of the outside of the lungs (pleura) and the wall of the chest. Normally, very little fluid is present in this space. An accumulation of excess fluid between the layers of the pleura is called a pleural effusion. Medline (Also see: Pleural Effusion) |
Medical Records & References |
| Medical Tests & Tools: A to Z. WebMD. |
| VitalKey. The easiest way for you to protect yourself and your family from many of these errors is to ensure that any doctors who treat you have the accurate, current information they need— when they need it— about your medical history. VitalKey. |
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