INTRODUCTION: High-frequency ultrasound offers a potential for objective and quantitative assessment of skin thickness and skin echogenicity in @entity785 ( @entity785 ). Few studies have however assessed the longitudinal changes of skin involvement using ultrasound. The aim of the study was to investigate changes in skin thickness in early @entity785 using high frequency ultrasound during one year of follow-up in comparison to other measurements of skin @entity82 . METHODS: This retrospective study comprised 75 consecutive @entity1 with disease duration shorter than 3  years, in whom ultrasound examination of skin thickness was performed at baseline and at the one year follow-up at five predefined sites. RESULTS: Repeated ultrasound examination identified significant changes in a majority of @entity1 . In 21 @entity1 , the @entity272 ( @entity24 ) increased, while @entity24 decreased in 37 @entity1 . On a group level there were significant decreases in skin thickness of the chest (p   =   0.024) and in the @entity24 (p   =   0.011) during the observation time. Both baseline and follow-up @entity24 correlated to serum-COMP (rS: 0.41; p   =   0.001; rS: 0.49; p   <   0.001), modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS; rS: 0.48; p   <   0.001; rS: 0.48; p   <   0.001) and hand mobility in @entity2631 (HAMIS; rS: 0.30; p   =   0.043; rS: 0.64; p   <   0.001). Changes in @entity24 correlated with changes in serum-COMP (rS: 0.30; p   =   0.034), changes in mRSS (rS: 0.43; p   <   0.001) and changes in HAMIS (rS: 0.53; p   =   0.001) during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: In early @entity785 , skin thickness measured by high frequency ultrasound develops in parallel with serum-COMP, mRSS and the HAMIS test. Ultrasound examination of the skin allows for objective assessment of one facet of the complex process of skin @entity82 in early @entity785 .

High frequency ultrasound of skin involvement in XXXX - a follow-up study.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity82 :: ('MESH:D005355', 'Disease') :: ['fibrosis'] @entity2631 :: ('MESH:D012594', 'Disease') :: ['scleroderma'] @entity24 :: ('7263', 'Gene') :: ['TST'] @entity272 :: ('MESH:D012871', 'Disease') :: ['total sum of skin thickness'] @entity785 :: ('MESH:D012595', 'Disease') :: ['systemic sclerosis', 'SSc']
@entity785 :: (MESH:D012595,Disease) :: ['systemic sclerosis']
