A Study of Mucocutaneous Manifestations in Autoimmune Connective Tissue Disorders at Tertiary Care Centre

The study examined 51 patients with newly-detected autoimmune connective tissue diseases, including Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), Systemic Sclerosis (SS), and Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD), at a tertiary care center. The majority of patients were female (47 out of 51), with a mean age of 15-25 years. Common mucocutaneous manifestations included malar rash, non-scarring alopecia, and oral ulcers. In SLE, malar rash was noted in 83% of patients, while muscle weakness was prevalent in MCTD cases. Systemic sclerosis patients exhibited hide-bound skin and decreased mouth opening. Serum ANA was positive in 76% of cases, with a speckled pattern being the most common. The study concluded that cutaneous features are crucial for the diagnosis and prognosis of these diseases, highlighting the diversity in clinical presentations due to genetic and environmental factors.