Editing Systemic scleroderma (section)

==Diagnosis==
In 1980, the [[American College of Rheumatology]] agreed on diagnostic criteria for scleroderma.<ref>{{cite journal|year=1980|title=Preliminary criteria for the classification of systemic sclerosis (scleroderma). Subcommittee for scleroderma criteria of the American Rheumatism Association Diagnostic and Therapeutic Criteria Committee|journal=Arthritis Rheum.|volume=23|issue=5|pages=581–90|doi=10.1002/art.1780230510|pmid=7378088|author=Masi AT }} Available online at {{cite web|url=http://www.rheumatology.org/publications/classification/systsclr.asp|title=1980 Criteria for the Classification of Systemic Sclerosis|access-date=2007-08-05|archive-date=2007-10-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015132731/http://rheumatology.org/publications/classification/systsclr.asp}}</ref>

Diagnosis is by clinical suspicion, presence of autoantibodies (specifically [[anti-centromere antibodies|anticentromere]] and anti-scl70/[[antitopoisomerase antibodies]]), and occasionally by biopsy. Of the antibodies, 90% have a detectable [[antinuclear antibody]]. Anticentromere antibody is more common in the limited form (80–90%) than in the diffuse form (10%), and anti-scl70 is more common in the diffuse form (30–40%) and in African-American patients (who are more susceptible to the systemic form).<ref name="JimenezDerk">{{cite journal |vauthors=Jimenez SA, Derk CT |title=Following the molecular pathways toward an understanding of the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis |journal=Ann. Intern. Med. |volume=140 |issue=1 |pages=37–50 |year=2004 |pmid=14706971 |doi=10.7326/0003-4819-140-2-200401200-00013}}</ref>

Other conditions may mimic systemic sclerosis by causing hardening of the skin. Diagnostic hints that another disorder is responsible include the absence of Raynaud's phenomenon, a lack of abnormalities in the skin on the hands, a lack of internal organ involvement, and a normal antinuclear antibodies test result.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Moenning R, Grau RG |title=Skin hardening, but is it systemic sclerosis? |journal=The Journal of Musculoskeletal Medicine |date=March 30, 2009 |url=http://jmm.consultantlive.com/display/article/1145622/1391088 |access-date=August 27, 2009 |archive-date=May 5, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090505132903/http://jmm.consultantlive.com/display/article/1145622/1391088 }}</ref>