Colonic Transit Disorders in Systemic Sclerosis

Abstract

Systemic sclerosis (SS) alters smooth muscle function throughout the gastrointestinal tract, the oesophagus being the segment most often involved. Involvement of the colon, though less common, may lead to life-threatening complications. We studied 23 unselected patients with SS and 20 age-matched healthy controls using radionuclide colon transit studies. The geometric centre (GC) at 4 and 24 hours was used to summarise overall transit in the colon. In patients with SS, colon transit was delayed (GC₄: 0.39 ± 0.36 vs 0.85 ± 0.45; P = 0.001) (GC₂₄: 1.68 ± 0.9 vs 2.58 ± 1.08; P = 0.006). These findings suggest that delayed colon transit is common in patients with SS.