Table 2.
Dermal thickness in healthy subjects and patients classified as affected by limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (lcSSc) on the basis of a normal Rodnan skin score at the upper arms, chest, abdomen and thighs
| Dermal thickness | Healthy subjects | Patients with lcSSc | Patients with lcSSc with DT >2SD | Patients with lcSSc with DT >3SD | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean ± SD (mm) | Mean + 2SD (mm) | Mean + 3SD (mm) | 95% CI lower, upper |
99.73% CI lower, upper |
Mean ± SD (mm) | Number (%) (out of 50) | Number (%) (out of 50) | |
| Right finger | 0.70 ± 0.05 | 0.80 | 0.85 | 0.69, 0.72 | 0.68, 0.72 | 0.88 ± 0.14 | 32 (64) | 25 (50) |
| Left finger | 0.70 ± 0.06 | 0.82 | 0.88 | 0.69, 0.72 | 0.68, 0.72 | 0.88 ± 0.14 | 32 (64) | 28 (56) |
| Right hand | 0.71 ± 0.06 | 0.83 | 0.89 | 0.69, 0.72 | 0.68, 0.73 | 0.84 ± 0.12 | 23 (46) | 13 (26) |
| Left hand | 0.71 ± 0.06 | 0.83 | 0.89 | 0.69, 0.73 | 0.69, 0.74 | 0.86 ± 0.16 | 24 (48) | 18 (36) |
| Right forearm | 0.77 ± 0.05 | 0.87 | 0.92 | 0.75, 0.78 | 0.75, 0.79 | 0.98 ± 0.19 | 32 (64) | 28 (56) |
| Left forearm | 0.77 ± 0.05 | 0.87 | 0.92 | 0.75, 0.78 | 0.75, 0.79 | 0.99 ± 0.19 | 34 (68) | 30 (60) |
| Right upper arm | 0.82 ± 0.07 | 0.96 | 1.03 | 0.80, 0.83 | 0.79, 0.84 | 1.06 ± 0.16 | 37 (74) | 23 (46) |
| Left upper arm | 0.82 ± 0.06 | 0.94 | 1.00 | 0.80, 0.83 | 0.79, 0.84 | 1.07 ± 0.16 | 39 (78) | 25 (50) |
| Chest | 1.11 ± 0.03 | 1.17 | 1.20 | 1.11, 1.12 | 1.10, 1.13 | 1.23 ± 0.17 | 35 (70) | 24 (48) |
| Abdomen | 1.11 ± 0.02 | 1.15 | 1.17 | 1.11, 1.12 | 1.11, 1.12 | 1.28 ± 0.18 | 37 (74) | 37 (74) |
| Right thigh | 1.13 ± 0.21 | 1.55 | 1.76 | 1.08, 1.18 | 1.05, 1.21 | 1.18 ± 0.23 | 0 | 0 |
| Left thigh | 1.14 ± 0.20 | 1.54 | 1.74 | 1.08, 1.19 | 1.05, 1.22 | 1.18 ± 0.23 | 1 (2) | 0 |
| Right lower leg | 0.92 ± 0.04 | 1.00 | 1.04 | 0.91, 0.93 | 0.90, 0.93 | 1.03 ± 0.13 | 25 (50) | 16 (32) |
| Left lower leg | 0.92 ± 0.05 | 1.02 | 1.07 | 0.90, 0.93 | 0.90, 0.93 | 1.03 ± 0.10 | 21 (42) | 16 (32) |
| Right foot | 0.87 ± 0.04 | 0.95 | 0.99 | 0.86, 0.88 | 0.86, 0.89 | 0.96 ± 0.13 | 24 (48) | 17 (34) |
| Left foot | 0.88 ± 0.04 | 0.96 | 1.00 | 0.87, 0.89 | 0.86, 0.89 | 0.97 ± 0.11 | 25 (50) | 15 (30) |
| Zygoma | 0.66 ± 0.05 | 0.76 | 0.81 | 0.65, 0.67 | 0.64, 0.68 | 0.85 ± 0.10 | 38 (76) | 32 (64) |
Mean values, standard deviations (SD) and both 95% and 99.73% confidence intervals (CI) are reported. Of interest, patients with lcSSc had dermal thickness (DT) values greater than the normal range in healthy subjects (see mean +2SD and +3SD, and upper 95% and 99.73% CI reporting, respectively, the 5% and 0.27% chance that healthy subjects might have a dermal thickness above the range), also in those areas where the mRSS was zero