{
  "abstract": "Introduction Telangiectasias are a hallmark microvascular manifestation of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and can be easily assessed during clinical evaluation. Their prognostic value regarding internal organ involvement and survival, however, remains uncertain. We aimed to investigate the association between a semiquantitative telangiectasia score and clinically relevant outcomes in SSc, namely pulmonary hypertension, interstitial lung disease (ILD), digital ulcers, and mortality.Material and Methods We conducted a retrospective observational study including 44 patients with SSc followed at the Department of Rheumatology, Coimbra Local Health Unit. All patients underwent a semiquantitative telangiectasia score assessment in 2010, as described by Shah et al. (range 0–22, based on the number of telangiectasias across predefined body areas). Clinical records were reviewed up to 2025, excluding patients without follow-up. Outcomes of interest were digital ulcers, ILD progression, PH, and mortality. Associations between baseline telangiectasia score and outcomes were analyzed.Results Of the 44 patients initially assessed, 37 had complete follow-up data and were included in the analysis.PH progression occurred in 6 patients (16.2%). Mean telangiectasia score was significantly higher in patients who progressed to PH compared with those who did not (10.3 ± 1.5 vs. 5.6 ± 3.5; p = 0.002). Logistic regression confirmed this association, with each additional point in the score increasing the odds of PH progression by 70% (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.08–2.68; p = 0.022).No significant differences in telangiectasia scores were observed in patients with or without digital ulcer progression (4.5 ± 2.1 vs. 6.5 ± 3.7; p = 0.450) or active digital ulcer progression (8.0 ± 2.8 vs. 6.3 ± 3.7; p = 0.540).During follow-up, 7 patients (18.9%) died. Telangiectasia scores were not significantly associated with all-cause mortality (OR 1.19, 95% CI 0.93–1.52; p = 0.177). Only two patients died from disease-related causes; their telangiectasia scores were numerically higher (11.0 ± 1.4) compared with non–disease-related deaths (6.5 ± 4.4), but statistical analysis was limited by the very small number of events.Conclusions A higher telangiectasia score was significantly associated with progression to PH, supporting its potential role as a simple clinical marker of vascular risk in SSc. No associations were observed with digital ulcer progression or mortality. Larger prospective studies are warranted to confirm the prognostic value of telangiectasias in systemic sclerosis.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Coimbra Local Health Unit, Department of Rheumatology, Coimbra, Portugal"
      ],
      "name": "Filipa Canhão André"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Coimbra Local Health Unit, Department of Rheumatology, Coimbra, Portugal"
      ],
      "name": "Joao Oliveira"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Coimbra Local Health Unit, Department of Rheumatology, Coimbra, Portugal"
      ],
      "name": "Margarida Coutinho"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Coimbra Local Health Unit, Department of Rheumatology, Coimbra, Portugal"
      ],
      "name": "Tania Santiago"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Coimbra Local Health Unit, Department of Rheumatology, Coimbra, Portugal"
      ],
      "name": "Maria Joao Salvador"
    }
  ],
  "title": "P.074 Prognostic value of telangiectasia score in systemic sclerosis: a retrospective cohort study from a tertiary center",
  "uid": "e54f7c3f-547b-589d-9042-eb581ec726fa"
}