Neuropsychiatric symptoms in scleroderma

摘要

Systemic sclerosis (SSc; scleroderma), a rare disorder of connective tissue characterized by widespread organ dysfunction due to fibrosis and ischemia, is marked by the overproduction and abnormal deposition of collagen. The brain parenchyma itself is largely collagen-free and, thus, primary central nervous system (CNS) involvement in SSc is believed to be rare, although peripheral neuropathy is common. However, SSc is known to cause widespread microvascular damage, which may be a plausible mechanism for the neuropsychiatric symptoms of mood, anxiety, and cognitive disorders that have been documented in SSc patients. Thus, SSc may be a systemic cause of vascular cognitive impairment and should be considered in the diagnosis of vascular dementia. The current case report illustrates a potential vascular connection between SSc and neuropsychiatric symptoms.