Objectives: Connective tissue diseases (CTDs) are chronic, multisystem inflammatory disorders, with the skin as the early, primary target. Understanding the cutaneous manifestations of CTDs can lead to early diagnosis and treatment. This study aims to highlight the various patterns of cutaneous involvement in CTDs prevalent in the North-East Indian population. Materials and Methods: A year-long cross-sectional, observational study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital. Cases of CTDs with cutaneous manifestations were included and clinically assessed. The findings were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Continuous variables were presented as mean ± standard deviation (SD) or median and categorical variables as percentages. Results: The prevalence of CTDs was 1.35%. Of the 147 patients, 84% were female, with a mean age of 36.26 ± 12.90 years. Eight patients belonged to the pediatric age group. Lupus erythematosus (LE) was the most common CTD (67%), followed by rheumatoid arthritis (12%) and mixed connective tissue disease (9%). Acute cutaneous LE (53.06%) was the most common subtype in the lupus group. Limited cutaneous subtype (67%) was the most common type of systemic sclerosis. Raised skin lesions (62%), photosensitivity (56%), and joint pain (55%) were the most frequent presenting features. Nail changes, predominantly periungual erythema, were observed in 20%. Systemic involvement was seen in 33%, with the respiratory system (10%) and renal system (9%) being most commonly affected. Antinuclear antibodies were positive in 85.71% of patients. Conclusion: CTDs, despite their diversity, often present early skin symptoms. Clinical features vary among populations due to genetic and environmental factors. Recognizing these can facilitate targeted screening and tailored management of the disease.
Verma et al. (Fri,) studied this question.