“Role of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound of the Hand in Predicting the Severity of Skin Involvement in Systemic Sclerosis Patients”

Background Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic fibrosing autoimmune disease affecting the skin and multiple organ systems [1]. Hand involvement in patients with SSc accounts for approximately 75% of overall disability, with presentations varying considerably among individuals [2]. Although physical examination and x-ray remain primary assessment techniques for hand pain in SSc, they have significant limitations in identifying the underlying causes of hand disability [3]. Ultrasonography (US) is a non-invasive imaging tool commonly used to assess the main inflammatory arthropathies. It can also identify pathological features in SSc patients, even without clinical evidence of joint involvement [4]. Aim of Study To investigate the relationship between musculoskeletal ultrasound findings and the severity of skin involvement in patients with systemic sclerosis. Patients and Methods This cross-sectional comparative study included 80 participants: 40 patients with established systemic sclerosis diagnosis and 40 healthy controls. Patients was evaluated by MSUS in hand and wrist using US10 score which evaluate10 joints regarding these parameters SPQ, SPSQ, PDQ, PDSQ, TSQ, BEQ, BESQ, CDQ, CDSQ. also MRSS was assessed. The study was conducted at the outpatient rheumatology clinic of Minia University Hospital, Egypt, from October 2024 to October 2025. Results Statistically significant positive correlations were found between MSUS parameters (SPQ (r = 0.47, p = 0.002), SPSQ (r = 0.59, p < 0.001), PDQ (r = 0.46, p = 0.002), and PDSQ (r = 0.48, p = 0.002)) and MRSS, also SPSQ and SPQ had a high diagnostic accuracy for predicting severity of MRSS.