The impact of COVID-19 on clinical course and treatment among patients with juvenile systemic sclerosis

Amra Adrovic1, Mehmet Yıldız2, Fatih Haşlak2, Sezgin Şahin2, Oya Köker3, Aybüke Günalp2, Kenan Barut2, Özgür Kasapçopur2

1Pediatric Rheumatology, Koç University Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye
2Pediatric Rheumatology, Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, Cerrahpaşa Medical School, Istanbul, Türkiye
3Pediatric Rheumatology, Marmara University Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye

Keywords: Coronavirus disease 2019, interstitial lung disease, juvenile systemic sclerosis, SARS-CoV-2, tocilizumab.

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the influence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic among patients with juvenile systemic sclerosis (JSS).

Patients and methods: Twenty-seven patients (22 females, 5 males; mean age: 20 years; range, 17 to 22 years) diagnosed with JSS and followed up at the department of pediatric rheumatology were included in the cross-sectional study. A web-based survey was performed by focusing on patients’ complaints, accessibility to health care, and compliance with routine treatment from January 1, 2021, to January 10, 2021.

Results: Five (18.5%) patients had deterioration of the disease, while six (22.2%) patients reported irregular usage of their routine scleroderma treatment during the last six months. Nine (33.3%) patients had missed their routine clinic control since the proclamation of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Seven (25.9%) patients had household contact with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Four (14.8%) patients were diagnosed with COVID-19, and only one (3.7%) was hospitalized. Nine patients were under biological treatment (tocilizumab); however, only one of them was diagnosed with COVID-19.

Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has not significantly disrupted the medical care of JSS patients. Telemedicine could be an acceptable option for JSS patients disenabled to come to the hospital.

Citation: Adrovic A, Yıldız M, Haşlak F, Şahin S, Köker O, Günalp A, et al. The impact of COVID-19 on clinical course and treatment among patients with juvenile systemic sclerosis. Arch Rheumatol 2023;38(2):267-273. doi: 10.46497/ArchRheumatol.2023.9636.

Ethics Committee Approval

The study protocol was approved by the Istanbul University-Cerrahpaa, Cerrahpaa Medical School Ethics Committee (date: 04.05.2021, no: 29430533-903.99-83219). The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.

Author Contributions

Made a design of the paper: O.K.; Provided the search of the literature and wrote the paper: A.A., M.Y., F.H., O.K., and A.G.; Made a critical evaluation of the data collection and interpretation: S.S., K.B., and O.K.; Designed a figure: M.Y.; All authors revised the final version of the manuscript.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

Financial Disclosure

The authors received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article.

Acknowledgments

We appreciate the efforts of our secretaries Betul Tugba Raufoglu and Burak Uzmez for the collection of patient data.

Data Sharing Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.