Limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis with gangrene: an autopsy case

Abstract

We describe an autopsy case of a 75-year-old female with limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (lcSSc) and gangrene due to macrovascular involvement. She was diagnosed with lcSSc complicated with pulmonary arterial hypertension and digital ulcers 9 years before admission. She had recurrent and refractory lower limb ulcers (LLUs), and died because of sepsis caused by gangrene infection. Autopsy findings revealed severely thickened arterial walls of the visceral organs, consistent with vascular involvement of SSc. Systemic vascular involvement in lcSSc may progress in patients with LLUs who harbour several risk factors for vascular involvement.

Keywords:

• Systemic sclerosis
• lcSSc
• gangrene
• lower limbs ulcers
• autopsy

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the patient and family as well as the medical staff for their contributions to the case report.

Patient consent statement

Written informed consent was obtained from the family for publication of this article.

Ethical Approval

Not Applicable.

Conflict of interest

None.