What is the outlook (prognosis) for patients with scleroderma?
A patient’s prognosis is optimized with close monitoring of overall health status and treatment of complications, especially elevated blood pressure. Recent data indicates that the critical period of organ risk is generally within the first three years of skin involvement. This means that patients can be reassured that their risk of organ-threatening complications is significantly less after three years of having skin symptoms. Much more research is needed in all areas of scleroderma disease, from cause to treatment. Today scleroderma continues to baffle medical scientists. Researchers are evaluating the effectiveness of thalidomide for the treatment of scleroderma. More sensitive tests to detect early lung disease of scleroderma are also being evaluated. Psoralen and ultraviolet light therapy (PUVA) is being studied as a possible treatment for limited scleroderma. Many researchers are investigating the roles of various cell messengers, called cytokines, in causing scleroderma. Researc
