Table 10.

Common causes of dyspnea and cough in SSc. Courtesy of LA Saketkoo & MB Scholand, rights reserved.

DYSPNEA	COUGH
ILD	ILD – dry inspiratory
Pulmonary Hypertension – any or any combination of the following: Groups I, II, III, IV	PND – possible drip sensation, often in morning, sore throat
Bronchiectasis*	Bronchiectasis*
Cardiac dysfunction or arrhythmia	Heart failure
Anemia	GERD – can be ‘wet’ cough / gastroparesis
Physical deconditioning
Intrinsic or extrinsic myopathy e.g. restrictive truncal skin involvement (carapace chest), accessory muscle myopathy
General population considerations: CAD, COPD
Disordered breath patterns

^*Bronchiectasis can be either traction (extrinsic pulling and distortion of the bronchioles often seen in pulmonary fibrosis on HRCT) or cylindrical (laxity of the bronchiole wall either due to infection or perhaps CTD itself, creating a stasis environment for bacteria cough is often productive)