Systemic autoimmune and rarer rheumatic diseases

1/6 What is it?

Scleroderma (systemic sclerosis)

An autoimmune disease with hardening of the skin and internal organs. It often begins with colour change in the fingers on exposure to cold.

Raynaud's phenomenon

Fingers turning white in the cold or with stress, then blue, then red. It can occur alone, or be the first sign of another disease.

Sjögren's syndrome

An autoimmune disease with dryness of the eyes and mouth. The salivary and tear glands are affected.

Vasculitis

Inflammation of the blood vessel wall. It can show itself as a rash, skin ulcers, fever and organ damage.

Behçet's disease

Recurring ulcers in the mouth and genital area, eye inflammation and skin changes.

Dermatomyositis

Muscle weakness together with characteristic skin rashes.

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF)

Recurring short attacks of fever with abdominal or chest pain. It is a genetic condition.

Fibromyalgia

Persistent pain over wide areas of the body, disturbed sleep and fatigue. There is no joint damage.

2/6 Who is it for?

People whose fingers turn white in the cold, then blue, then red.

People whose skin has thickened and whose fingers are hard to bend.

People with persistently dry eyes and mouth, who struggle to swallow dry food.

People with an unexplained rash, particularly small red spots on the legs.

People who get mouth ulcers again and again.

People with recurring attacks of fever and abdominal pain since childhood.

People who ache all over, sleep poorly, and whose tests come back normal.

3/6 When to seek care

• Your fingers go completely white in the cold, then turn blue
• There are sores on your fingertips that will not heal
• The skin of your hands has thickened and your ring has become tight
• Your eyes feel gritty and your mouth is constantly dry
• Small red spots have appeared on your legs that do not fade when pressed
• You get mouth ulcers several times a month
• You have recurring attacks of fever with no clear cause
• Climbing stairs or brushing your hair has become difficult

If there are sores on the fingertips, breathlessness or difficulty swallowing, do not delay the examination.

4/6 Why it matters

In this group the diagnosis is often delayed by years, because the features get spread across different specialists.

Early recognition allows internal organ involvement to be picked up in time.

Raynaud's phenomenon is sometimes the first and, for a long time, the only sign. Assessing it matters.

On the other hand, not every Raynaud's means serious disease. Telling those apart is the purpose of the examination.

In fibromyalgia the main aim is to show that there is no damage, and to move on to managing the pain.

5/6 How it is done

1. A detailed conversation. When the features began, in what order, and how they relate to one another.
2. Examination. Skin, nail folds, joints, muscle strength and the mouth are checked.
3. Blood tests. ANA and its subtypes, inflammatory markers, muscle enzymes and organ function, as indicated.
4. Organ assessment. Depending on the suspicion, lung, heart and kidney investigations may be requested.
5. Treatment and follow-up. An individual plan is built and regular monitoring arranged.

In this group of diseases a conclusion often cannot be reached in a single visit. Observation and re-assessment are sometimes needed.

Until the diagnosis is clear, unnecessarily strong treatment is avoided.

6/6 Where it is done

Examination and follow-up take place in Baku, at StarLab Clinic.

Address: 20 Yanvar str. 88, 5th microdistrict, Baku, opposite the Qızıltac wedding hall.

Contact: +994 55 550 55 69.

Raynaud's phenomenon can occur on its own, and in that case it is usually not serious. But if there are sores on the fingertips, skin thickening or other features, an examination is needed.

Dryness can relate to age and to some medicines. Persistent, troublesome dryness should nonetheless be assessed for Sjögren's syndrome.

In fibromyalgia there is no damage to joints or organs, so the tests are usually normal. The diagnosis is made from the symptoms and the examination; the tests are there to exclude other diseases.

The test helps, but the diagnosis rests mainly on the clinical features. A negative result does not always exclude the disease.