What does SSC mean in British Medicine?

Systemic scleroderma

Systemic sclerosis or systemic scleroderma is an autoimmune or connective tissue disease. It is characterized by thickening of the skin caused by accumulation of collagen, and by injuries to the smallest arteries. There are two overlapping forms. Limited cutaneous scleroderma is limited to the skin on the face, hands and feet. Diffuse cutaneous scleroderma covers more of the skin, and is at risk of progressing to the visceral organs, including the kidneys, heart, lungs and gastrointestinal tract are affected. Survival is determined by the severity of visceral disease. Prognosis is difficult to predict until the disease differentiates into recognizable subsets. Patients with limited cutaneous scleroderma have a good prognosis, with 10-year survival of 75%, although <10% develop pulmonary arterial hypertension after 10 to 20 years. Patients with diffuse cutaneous scleroderma have a 10-year survival of 55%. Death is most often from pulmonary, heart and kidney involvement, although survival has greatly improved with effective treatment for kidney failure. Immunosuppressive drugs are used, although glucocorticoids have limited application. Annual incidence is 19 per million, and prevalence is 19-75 per 100,000, with a female:male ratio of 3:1, and 8:1 in mid to late childbearing years. Incidence is twice as high among African Americans, and the Choctow Native Americans in Oklahoma have the highest prevalence in the world. There is some hereditary association, some suggestion of immune reaction to a virus, and some cases caused by toxins.

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