TY - JOUR T1 - Thermographic Abnormalities are Associated with Future Digital Ulcers and Death in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis JF - The Journal of Rheumatology JO - J Rheumatol SP - 1519 LP - 1522 DO - 10.3899/jrheum.151412 VL - 43 IS - 8 AU - Michael Hughes AU - Jack Wilkinson AU - Tonia Moore AU - Joanne Manning AU - Paul New AU - Graham Dinsdale AU - Andrea Murray AU - Ariane L. Herrick Y1 - 2016/08/01 UR - http://www.jrheum.org/content/43/8/1519.abstract N2 - Objective. Capillaroscopic abnormalities are predictive of future digital ulcers (DU). Our aim was to investigate whether functional digital vascular disease (thermographically assessed) is also associated with future DU.Methods. A retrospective case note review of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) undergoing thermography and who were followed for up to about 3 years.Results. There were 138 patients (equal mixture of normal/abnormal thermography). Patients with abnormal thermography were more likely to develop DU (clinician-observed and/or patient-reported, OR 2.84, p = 0.021), including multiple episodes, and more likely to die (OR 5.42, p = 0.050).Conclusion. Abnormal thermography is associated with DU and disease severity in patients with SSc. ER -