Neurologic Manifestations of Progressive Systemic Sclerosis

Abstract

Neurologic involvement in progressive systemic sclerosis is considered uncommon. We retrospectively examined the prevalence and nature of neurologic complications in 50 patients with progressive systemic sclerosis. In 20 (40%), neurologic abnormalities were detected, with a total of 28 neurologic manifestations. All levels of the central and peripheral nervous system were affected: muscle (22%), peripheral nerve (18%), spinal cord (8%), and brain (6%). Of note were the presence of myelopathy in four patients and inclusion-body myositis in two. In 10 patients (20%), no definable cause of the neurologic dysfunction could be identified, apart from progressive systemic sclerosis. Thus, neurologic presentations of progressive systemic sclerosis are much more common than previously reported and may be due to direct involvement of the nervous system by a primary pathologic process in a significant number of patients.