A new skin manifestation of progressive systemic sclerosis.

This paper describes a pigmentary abnormality found in three patients with progressive systemic sclerosis. This consists of pigment retention over superficial blood vessels in an area of depigmentation. Sequential clinical observations demonstrated the dynamic nature of this abnormality, and on the basis of thermographic examination in one patient, we suggest that local thermal mechanisms may affect its development. This abnormality has been seen only in patients with progressive systemic sclerosis.