I know I sound cheeky!! I Sawry. Believe me I'm not proud of any of this. I have been experimenting with different approachs to people all year. Finally I decided to localize my art and music content over there elsewhere and be totally open over here on tribe. If that openess means being brash, until I learn ways in which I can tone it down a notch and become more experienced at it. Its just something I have to go through and if you read my thread it becomes something for you to deal with as well.

Background: Patients with CREST syndrome are a subset of patients with scleroderma. CREST is an acronym for the cardinal clinical features of the syndrome in a given patient: calcinosis, Raynaud phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasia. In 1964, Winterbauer described a series of 8 patients with calcinosis cutis, Raynaud phenomenon, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasia (CRST), and he noted the similarity of appearance and distribution of the telangiectasia to that seen in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (Osler-Weber-Rendu syndrome). Although Winterbauer noted esophageal dysmotility in 4 of 8 patients, he did not include this feature in his original description of CRST syndrome. Frayha noted the frequent occurrence of esophageal dysmotility and suggested that the acronym CREST may be more appropriate. Velayos reviewed 13 patients with CREST and CRST syndromes and found the syndromes equivalent.

Several classification schemes for scleroderma have been presented and remain in use. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR; formerly, the American Rheumatology Association) criteria for classification of scleroderma requires either 1 major criterion (proximal cutaneous scleroderma) or 2 of 3 minor criteria (sclerodactyly, digital pitting scars, bibasilar pulmonary fibrosis). Proximal cutaneous scleroderma is defined as symmetric thickening, tightening, or induration of skin proximal to metacarpophalangeal or metatarsophalangeal joints. Satisfaction of 1 major criterion or 2 minor criteria offers a sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of more than 98% compared to other patients with connective tissue diseas