Telangiectasia in Systemic Sclerosis Is a Marker of Increased Disease Morbidity and Mortality: Analyses From the Australian Scleroderma Cohort Study

This Australian retrospective cohort analysis of 1977 patients investigates and expands on correlates of telangiectasia in systemic sclerosis to determine whether this cutaneous sign is a potential surrogate marker for disease progression and prognosis. We found that pulmonary arterial hypertension and digital ulcers were significant correlates of telangiectasia, which was also an independent risk factor for mortality. Careful monitoring of telangiectasia may provide an indicator for more severe vasculopathy, with increased morbidity and mortality in systemic sclerosis.