Academic Journal
Gastrointestinal Manifestations of Systemic Sclerosis: Screening and Management to Improve Outcomes.
| Τίτλος: | Gastrointestinal Manifestations of Systemic Sclerosis: Screening and Management to Improve Outcomes. |
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| Συγγραφείς: | Syal A; Department of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA., Pasula R; Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA., Mortezaei K; Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA., Panayiotou I; Medical School, University of Cyprus, 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus., Kumari G; Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA., Derk C; Division of Rheumatology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. |
| Πηγή: | British journal of hospital medicine (London, England : 2005) [Br J Hosp Med (Lond)] 2026 Sep 10; Vol. 87 (9), pp. 52377. |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article; Review |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: MA Healthcare Country of Publication: Singapore NLM ID: 101257109 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1759-7390 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 17508460 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Br J Hosp Med (Lond) Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: London : MA Healthcare, c2005- |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Scleroderma, Systemic*/complications , Scleroderma, Systemic*/physiopathology , Gastrointestinal Diseases*/therapy , Gastrointestinal Diseases*/etiology , Gastrointestinal Diseases*/diagnosis , Gastrointestinal Diseases*/physiopathology, Gastroesophageal Reflux/etiology ; Gastroesophageal Reflux/therapy ; Gastroesophageal Reflux/diagnosis ; Blind Loop Syndrome/etiology ; Blind Loop Syndrome/therapy ; Gastroparesis/etiology ; Gastroparesis/therapy ; Humans |
| Περίληψη: | Gastrointestinal (GI) involvement is among the most common and clinically important manifestations of systemic sclerosis (SSc), affecting up to 90% of patients and substantially contributing to morbidity and reduced quality of life. SSc-related GI disease results from microvascular injury, enteric nervous system dysfunction, and progressive smooth muscle atrophy with fibrosis, producing widespread dysmotility throughout the gastrointestinal tract. Clinical involvement can extend from the oral cavity to the anorectum, with esophageal dysfunction, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastroparesis, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), and intestinal pseudo-obstruction among the major manifestations. Recent diagnostic advances, including high-resolution esophageal manometry (HRM), ambulatory pH-impedance monitoring, and improved imaging, have strengthened early detection and characterization of GI involvement. Treatment remains largely supportive and symptom-directed, including acid suppression, prokinetic therapy, nutritional optimization, and endoscopic or surgical management of complications. Growing evidence on the gut microbiome, immune-mediated mechanisms, and the gut-brain axis is expanding understanding of disease pathophysiology and may guide future targeted therapies. This review synthesizes current evidence on the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and management of gastrointestinal involvement in systemic sclerosis, emphasizing early recognition and multidisciplinary care. We conclude by outlining persistent management challenges and future directions to improve diagnostic precision, therapeutic development, and patient-centered outcomes. (Copyright: © 2026 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.) |
| Competing Interests: | Given his role as an Editorial Board Member, had no involvement in the peer-review of this article and has no access to information regarding its peer-review. Full responsibility for the editorial process for this article was delegated to . The other authors declare no conflicts of interest. |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: gastroesophageal reflux disease; gastrointestinal involvement; management; scleroderma, systemic; screening; small intestinal bacterial overgrowth |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260930 Date Completed: 20260930 Latest Revision: 20260930 |
| Update Code: | 20260930 |
| DOI: | 10.31083/BJHM52377 |
| PMID: | 42812093 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1759-7390 |
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| DOI: | 10.31083/BJHM52377 |