Fig. 1.

²³Na-MRI detects increased Na⁺ in fibrotic SSc skin and discriminates between affected and non-affected skin

(A–C) Skin Na⁺ (A) and water content (B) of SSc patients (n = 12) and age-matched controls (n = 21) quantified by ²³Na-MRI and ¹H-MRI. (C) Representative²³Na-MRI detects increased Na⁺ in fibrotic SSc skin and discriminates between affected and non-affected skin. ²³Na- and ¹H-magnetic resonance images of healthy (left) and fibrotic skin (right). Calibration tubes are placed below the forearm. Arrows indicate the site of measurement. (D) Skin Na⁺ content in fibrotic forearm vs non-involved lower leg in the same patients (n = 11). (E) Skin Na⁺ content of non-affected SSc skin vs healthy control patients (both lower leg). (F) Representative ²³Na-magnetic resonance images of the forearm vs lower leg of an SSc patient.