Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31317425›Full record

ArticleClinical rheumatology2020

Is there a role for laser speckle contrast analysis (LASCA) in predicting the outcome of digital ulcers in patients with systemic sclerosis?

Simone Barsotti, Anna d'Ascanio, Venturini Valentina, Stagnaro Chiara, Bilia Silvia, Amanzi Laura, Marta Mosca, Alessandra Della Rossa

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Article in Clinical rheumatology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 19% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 18 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Simone BarsottiDivision of Rheumatology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma, 67, 56126, Pisa, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4864-4505
Anna d'AscanioDivision of Rheumatology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma, 67, 56126, Pisa, Italy.
Venturini ValentinaDivision of Rheumatology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma, 67, 56126, Pisa, Italy.
Stagnaro ChiaraDivision of Rheumatology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma, 67, 56126, Pisa, Italy.
Bilia SilviaDivision of Rheumatology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma, 67, 56126, Pisa, Italy.
Amanzi LauraDivision of Rheumatology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma, 67, 56126, Pisa, Italy.
Marta MoscaDivision of Rheumatology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma, 67, 56126, Pisa, Italy.
Alessandra Della RossaDivision of Rheumatology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma, 67, 56126, Pisa, Italy. a.dellarossa@ao-pisa.toscana.it.
University of Pisa · ITUniversity of Siena · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveDigital ulcers (DUs) represent one major burden for patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). The objectives of our study were to evaluate blood flow in SSc-DUs with laser speckle contrast analysis (LASCA) and to correlate the skin perfusion to clinical and laboratory data.

methodsForty DUs in 31 consecutive patients with SSc according to 2013 ACR/EULAR criteria (20 with limited cutaneous disease, 3 males) were prospectively examined with LASCA. Clinical and laboratory data were collected at the same time. DUs were classified according to clinical features and presence of infection.

resultsAt LASCA analysis, patients with diffuse SSc had lower mean values of blood flow compared with those with limited disease at the finger affected by DUs (88.80 vs 44.40, p = 0.036) and at the periulcer area (p = 0.041). The presence of infection was associated to a higher flow at the finger with DU (103.02 vs 58.05 p = 0.04), at the level of ulcer (217.63 vs 67.15, p < 0.001), and at the periulcer area (p = 0.001). The ratio between the blood flow at the ulcer area and the finger base (UA/FB) showed a bimodal trend in patients with infected DUs and in those without infections. Infection was positive correlated to the time of healing (HT) (r = 0.648, p = 0.023), while in DUs without infection a negative correlation to HT (r = - 0.46, p = 0.015) was identified.

conclusionsThis study demonstrates for the first time that the UA/FB ratio may predict the healing time of DUs in SSc patients and may be crucial for the prognostic stratification of patients. Infection remains one of the main predictors of DU healing.Key Points• The prognostic value of laser speckle contrast analysis (LASCA) in patients with digital ulcers (DUs) in systemic sclerosis remains to be clarified.• LASCA may be able to predict the haling time of the digital ulcers.• The presence of infection of the wound bed may greatly influence the LASCA parameters and the healing time of the digital ulcer.

Indexed as

AdultAgedDiagnostic ImagingFemaleFingersHandHumansLasersLinear ModelsMaleMiddle AgedPain MeasurementPerfusionProspective StudiesRaynaud DiseaseScleroderma, SystemicDigital ulcersLASCALaser DopplerOutcome assessmentSystemic sclerosis

Identifiers

PMID31317425
OpenAlexW2958340396

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.