Scleroderma
Scleroderma, or systemic sclerosis, is a rare autoimmune disease that can cause the connective tissue in the skin — and sometimes the internal organs — to thicken and stiffen.
UPMC has a rich history in the treatment of scleroderma. Our experts have made significant contributions to understanding the epidemiology, clinical and laboratory features, and natural history of this disease.
A collaborative approach to care
Specialists at the University of Pittsburgh Simmons Center for Interstitial Lung Disease at UPMC and the Comprehensive Pulmonary Hypertension Program work closely with each other, and with our experts in the UPMC Arthritis and Autoimmunity Center, to help our patients manage the pulmonary complications of systemic sclerosis, which include pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension.
We also work closely with esophageal experts in UPMC’s Division of Gastroenterology and the UPMC Heart, Lung, and Esophageal Surgery Institute, because of the high prevalence of esophageal dysmotility, or loss of usual movement, and gastroesophageal reflux in people with scleroderma.
There is also a growing body of evidence supporting an association between these esophageal disorders and the development of pulmonary fibrosis.
Return to the UPMC Comprehensive Lung Center homepage.