Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42082284›Full record

ArticleRMD open2026

Scoping literature review on applied definitions of very early diagnosis of systemic sclerosis (VEDOSS) and pre-systemic sclerosis in original articles.

Alain Lescoat, Yannick Allanore, Francesco Del Galdo, Masataka Kuwana, Christopher P Denton, Dinesh Khanna, Marco Matucci-Cerinic, Silvia Bellando-Randone

Abstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in RMD open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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.

Alain LescoatInserm, EHESP, Irset -Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail-UMRS, University of Rennes, CHU Rennes, Rennes, France Alain.LESCOAT@chu-rennes.fr.ORCID 0000-0003-2081-8558
Yannick AllanoreINSERM U1016 UMR 8104, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France.
Francesco Del GaldoDepartment of Rheumatology, Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-8528-2283
Masataka KuwanaDepartment of Allergy and Rheumatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan.ORCID 0000-0001-8352-6136
Christopher P DentonCentre for Rheumatology, Division of Medicine, Royal Free Campus, University College London, London, UK.
Dinesh KhannaDivision of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Scleroderma Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Marco Matucci-CerinicUnit of Immunology, Rheumatology, Allergy and Rare diseases (UnIRAR), IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-9324-3161
Silvia Bellando-RandoneDepartment of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of Florence, AOUC, Florence, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

contextThe very early diagnosis of systemic sclerosis (VEDOSS) criteria were developed to diagnose systemic sclerosis (SSc) at a very early stage. However, several studies have applied these criteria inconsistently, often using them to identify patients at a predisease stage. This use has created confusion between the concept of VEDOSS and pre-SSc. With growing interest in predisease states in autoimmunity, a consensus definition of pre-SSc is mandatory.

objectiveAs a preliminary step towards such definition, this scoping review aimed to map existing definitions of pre-SSc and VEDOSS in the literature, identify item combinations used and capture conceptual variations.

methodsFollowing Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines, PubMed and Web of Science were searched using the terms 'VEDOSS' OR 'very early diagnosis of systemic sclerosis' OR 'pre-scleroderma' OR 'pre-systemic sclerosis' OR 'pre-SSc'.

resultsOf 106 records screened, 40 full texts were included (eight on pre-SSc and 32 on VEDOSS). Most articles (80%) originated from Europe. Three distinct definitions of pre-SSc were identified, alongside 13 different applications of VEDOSS criteria. Although 62.5% of studies cited the 2011 VEDOSS consensus, only 31.3% applied the complete definition incorporating the three step 1 essential items and step 2 confirmation tools.

conclusionThis scoping review highlights the variability of the definitions of VEDOSS and pre-SSc that have been used in the literature. The absence of a consensus definition for pre-SSc contributes to overlapping and blurring boundaries between these concepts. A consensus effort is warranted to select a core set of items for a standardised definition of pre-SSc.

Indexed as

Scleroderma, SystemicEarly DiagnosisHumansAutoimmunityImmune System DiseasesSystemic Sclerosis

Identifiers

PMID42082284
PMCPMC13141083

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.