Diffuse systemic sclerosis following COVID-19 infection

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterized by extensive fibrosis of the skin, vasculature, and other organs. SSc is divided into two subtypes: limited and diffuse. Importantly, diffuse SSc is associated with a higher incidence of lung, cardiac, and kidney disease. Owing to significant multiorgan system involvement, patients with SSc require a multidisciplinary team to coordinate care and mediate the high disease-associated morbidity and mortality. The evolution of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has sparked a wave of physical anomalies. A variety of autoimmune conditions following COVID-19 infection has been documented, including vasculitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, sarcoidosis, and inflammatory myopathies. The multisystem inflammation pattern associated with COVID-19 infection can present much like systemic autoinflammatory diseases. Understanding of this phenomenon is ongoing.