The Critical Need for Accurately Defining Digital Ulcers in Scleroderma

Abstract

Digital ulcers are one of the key predictors of disease progression and quality of life in patients with systemic sclerosis. Choosing the right treatment for the individual patient begins at developing a consensus among clinicians of what constitutes a digital ulcer. The aim of this editorial is to describe the high unmet need for a standardized method of defining digital ulcers, which is a major challenge not only for treatment, but also for development of new therapies. We discuss the potential role of ultrasound in the development of a validated definition of digital ulcers in systemic sclerosis.