Clin Exp Rheumatol
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Systemic sclerosis is a rare and potentially devastating connective tissue disease. It is highly heterogeneous in terms of clinical presentation, extent and severity of organ involvement, immunologic abnormalities, and clinical course. ⋯ Results of these studies are presented and discussed, with emphasis on methodological limitations. Suggestions are made for the design, conduct, and reporting of further research on these themes.
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To adapt and validate the Hungarian version of the DASH and the shorter QuickDASH Outcome Measures and to establish their validity in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). ⋯ The Hungarian version of the DASH and QuickDASH demonstrated equivalent reproducibility, internal consistency and validity to the originals. The strong correlations of the DASH and QuickDASH with the HAQ-DI, and with the physical dimensions of the SF-36 show that the disability of the patient with SSc is predominantly caused by the functional impairment of the upper limb. Because both questionnaires were valuable tools for measuring upper extremity function and joint damage in SSc patients, we recommend the shorter and simpler QuickDASH for everyday clinical use.