SynthesisSeminars in arthritis and rheumatism2026
Systemic sclerosis and small bowel involvement: A systematic review of diagnostic approaches and current evidence.
Synthesis in Seminars in arthritis and rheumatism, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundSmall bowel involvement represents a common and clinically significant manifestation of systemic sclerosis (SSc). Pathogenesis is multifactorial, and diagnosis remains challenging due to non-specific symptoms, limited diagnostic tools, and a lack of standardized management strategies.
methodsA systematic search of PubMed and Embase was conducted to identify studies evaluating small bowel involvement in patients with SSc using objective tests and patient tissue. A qualitative synthesis was performed due to the anticipated heterogeneity in study designs, interventions, and outcomes.
resultsOf the 24 studies included, 9 (37.5%) evaluated small bowel motor function using manometry, 12 (50%) employed other objective diagnostic methods, and 7 (29.2%) reported histopathological findings. Manometric studies showed a high prevalence of motor abnormalities: absent or impaired phase III complexes (median 50.3%, IQR,22.5%-81%), reduced phase III migration velocity (31.3%, IQR,18%-53%), diminished contraction amplitude (median 62.5%, IQR,40%-75%), and abnormal postprandial responses (median 60.6%, IQR,50%-90%). No correlation was found between esophageal and small bowel involvement when both were assessed by manometry(5 studies). Transit studies (breath tests, capsule endoscopy, and whole-gut scintigraphy) showed variable performance; however, whole-gut scintigraphy identified clinically relevant associations, including a strong link with increased mortality (HR 4.57; 95% CI: 1.58-13.24). Histopathological results identified smooth muscle atrophy, enteric neuropathy, and vascular fibrosis in the pathogenesis of small bowel involvement.
conclusionsIn SSc, small bowel involvement is frequent and associated with decreased contractile amplitude and delayed transit time. There is a critical need for standardized diagnostic approaches to enable early recognition and guide management.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.