Scleroderma, An Issue of Rheumatic Disease Clinics, (The Clinics: Internal Medicine)

Scleroderma, or systemic sclerosis, is a chronic connective tissue disease generally classified as one of the autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Hardening of the skin is one of the most visible manifestations of the disease. It’s estimated that about 300,000 Americans have scleroderma. About one third of those people have the systemic form of scleroderma. Since scleroderma presents with symptoms similar to other autoimmune diseases, diagnosis is difficult. This issue will cover: The Genetic Basis of SSc: Genetics, Epigenetics, Mechanisms of Pathogenesis – linking fibrosis, vasculopathy and immune dysregulation, The Role of Autoantibodies in Diagnosis and Prognosis/survival; Managing Raynaud’s phenomenon and ischemic ulcers, managing SSc Lung Disease, Monitoring for and Managing Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, and many more!