Table 3.
List of clinical symptoms observed in SLE and MCTD patients
| Clinical symptom name | Definition | SLE |
MCTD |
p- value |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive | Total | Positive | Total | |||
| Skin telangiectasia | Vascular lesions formed by dilation of
small blood vessels |
5% | 79 | 15% | 40 | 0.0650 |
| Skin nasal/oral ulcers | Shallow and painful open sores that appear
as necrotic or eroded areas on the oral mucosa |
29% | 79 | 23% | 39 | 0.4880 |
| Raynaud’s syndrome | Vascular disorder causing periods of
severely restricted blood flow to the fingers and toes |
53% | 80 | 85% | 40 | 0.0001 |
| History of hand swelling | Hand swelling by history | 41% | 81 | 61% | 41 | 0.0120 |
| Observed hand swelling | Hand swelling observed on physical exam at
the date of visit |
19% | 81 | 39% | 41 | 0.0140 |
| Acrosclerosis | Scleroderma of the distal extremities,
sometimes extending to the neck and face |
4% | 80 | 26% | 38 | 0.0001 |
| Skin digital pitting | Loss of skin on the tips of the fingers
caused by scars and ulcers |
8% | 80 | 8% | 39 | 0.9700 |
| Proximal scleroderma | Skin fibrosis of the extremities proximal
to the elbows or knees, or of the thorax. |
3% | 79 | 0% | 39 | 0.3160 |
| Skin alopecia | Hair loss condition that usually affects the scalp | 58% | 80 | 72% | 39 | 0.1310 |
| Malar rash | Skin rash of both cheeks joined by an
extension across the bridges of the nose |
46% | 78 | 13% | 39 | 0.0001 |
| Discoid rash | Chronic skin problem resulting from lupus disease | 10% | 78 | 0% | 39 | 0.0380 |
| Skin rash | Red and swollen area on the skin | 33% | 78 | 38% | 39 | 0.5840 |
| Skin photosensitivity | Skin rash resulting from reaction to sunlight | 57% | 76 | 58% | 38 | 0.8940 |
| Skin calcinosis | Abnormal deposition of calcium salts in tissues | 1% | 79 | 5% | 38 | 0.2000 |
| Sicca, xerophthalmia
and xerostomia |
Characterized by dry eyes (xerophthalmia)
and dry mouth (xerostomia) |
49% | 81 | 66% | 41 | 0.1330 |
| Erosive inflammatory arthritis |
Synovitis with joint erosions | 43% | 23 | 45% | 20 | 0.9200 |
| Lymphadenopathy | Swollen or enlarged lymph nodes | 24% | 79 | 20% | 40 | 0.6180 |
| Fever | Increase in body temperature above the
normal range (98–100°F) |
22% | 78 | 15% | 40 | 0.7780 |
| Proximal muscle weakness | Malfunction of muscle fibers resulting in weakness | 29% | 76 | 49% | 39 | 0.0360 |
| Myositis | Inflammation of muscle tissue | 6% | 79 | 27% | 33 | 0.0020 |
| Myalgia | Tenderness or pain in the muscles | 54% | 80 | 48% | 40 | 0.8970 |
| Morning stiffness | Joint and muscle stiffness present upon awakening | 53% | 73 | 64% | 36 | 0.3000 |
| Swelling of three or
more joints |
Multiple joints swelling | 42% | 78 | 63% | 40 | 0.0380 |
| Joint tenderness | Sensitivity to touch or pressure on fat
pad, tendon attachment, ligament, muscle and/or skin |
35% | 79 | 69% | 39 | 0.0010 |
| Joint swelling | Intra-articular effusion, synovial
thickening, and periarticular soft tissue inflammation |
29% | 78 | 63% | 40 | 0.0010 |
| Symmetric swelling | Swelling occurs in the same joint on both
sides of the body |
27% | 78 | 64% | 39 | 0.0001 |
| Rheumatoid nodule | Includes subcutaneous nodules over bony
prominences, extensor surface or in juxta articular regions |
6% | 77 | 10% | 40 | 0.5000 |
| Arthralgia | Joint pain | 82% | 79 | 84% | 38 | 0.7950 |
| Neuropathy | Any type of nerve disorders | 31% | 77 | 28% | 40 | 0.6810 |
| Seizure | A sudden attack of pain, of a disease, or
of certain symptoms |
4% | 80 | 0% | 40 | 0.2150 |
| Psychosis | Any mental disorder characterized by
personality disintegration and loss of contact with reality |
3% | 79 | 0% | 39 | 0.3160 |
| Neuropsychiatric disorder | Evidence of mental illness | 19% | 78 | 51% | 39 | 0.0001 |
| Hypomotility in cine deglutition esophageal |
Decreased motility of the esophagus
(usually results in difficulty swallowing or increased acid reflux) |
41% | 78 | 58% | 40 | 0.0890 |
| Pulmonary fibrosis | Development of excess fibrous connective
tissue in the lungs |
22% | 45 | 23% | 26 | 0.6330 |
| Pleuritic pain or rubbing heard |
Inflammation of membrane that enfolds both lungs | 37% | 78 | 23% | 39 | 0.1250 |
| Pericarditis | Inflammation of the pericardium | 30% | 73 | 18% | 39 | 0.1610 |
| Avascular necrosis | Cellular death of bone components due to
interruption of the blood supply |
3% | 74 | 0% | 33 | 0.3040 |
| Clotting | Thick, viscous, or coagulated mass in blood stream. | 1% | 75 | 12% | 34 | 0.0160 |
| Myocardial infarction | Partial or complete occlusion of one or
more of the coronary arteries resulting in myocardial injury |
0% | 73 | 11% | 35 | 0.0030 |
| Stroke | Brain hemorrhage or lack of blood flow | 6% | 81 | 2% | 41 | 0.3570 |
Clinical manifestations that differ significantly between SLE and MCTD patients are highlighted in gray (p ≤ 0.05). Neuropathy, seizure and psychosis symptoms were diagnosed in the absence of offending drugs or known metabolic derangements.