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Review
. 2021 Sep;35(3):101666.
doi: 10.1016/j.berh.2021.101666. Epub 2021 Mar 4.

A practical approach to the evaluation and management of gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with systemic sclerosis

Timothy Kaniecki  1 , Tsion Abdi  2 , Zsuzsanna H McMahan  3
Affiliations
Review

A practical approach to the evaluation and management of gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with systemic sclerosis

Timothy Kaniecki et al. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2021 Sep.

Abstract

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is the most commonly affected internal organ system in systemic sclerosis (SSc). SSc may lead to impaired function in any region of the GI tract, from the esophagus to the anorectum, which causes significant morbidity as well as mortality in patient subsets. Given the low prevalence of SSc in the community, many rheumatologists may not have a systematic framework for diagnosing or treating the GI complaints in this disease. These practice recommendations aim to summarize and consolidate the current guidelines from the fields of gastroenterology and rheumatology and establish a symptom-based framework for diagnosis and management based on available evidence in the literature. Subject areas that are in need of additional research are also identified.

Keywords: Gastrointestinal; Management; Scleroderma; Systemic sclerosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest None of the authors received any financial support or other benefits from commercial sources for the work reported in this manuscript, nor do any of the authors have any financial interests, which could create a potential conflict of interest or appearance thereof.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
A Proposed Diagnostic Protocol for Upper Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Systemic Sclerosis
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
A Proposed Diagnostic Protocol for Lower Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Systemic Sclerosis
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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