Childhood onset systemic sclerosis: classification, clinical and serologic features, and survival in comparison with adult onset disease.

Objective: To describe the differences between patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) having childhood versus adult onset evaluated at a single medical center.

Methods: Patients were divided into those with childhood onset (first SSc symptom or finding before age 16 yrs) and those with early adult and late adult onset. The 3 groups were compared with respect to disease classification, clinical, laboratory and serologic data, and survival.