An autoimmune disease of the connective tissue, characterized by the formation of scar tissue (fibrosis) in the skin and organs of the body. This leads to thickness and firmness of involved areas. Also: Systemic Sclerosis

	Delayed Gastric Emptying (Gastroparesis) The Condition "...Causes & Development Possible causes of gastroparesis include diabetes, stomach surgery, viral infections, scleroderma and neurological disorders, including Parkinson's disease and spinal-cord disorders..." Iritis The Condition "...These are called connective tissue diseases and include: rheumatoid arthritis, sarcoidosis, lupus, scleroderma, Behcet's disease, anklylosing spondylitis, Reiter's disease, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and B-27 disease..." Polymyositis The Condition "...Occasionally it is associated with cancer, or with other diseases of the connective tissues (for example, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma or rheumatoid arthritis)..." Scleroderma The Condition "Scleroderma is a rare, chronic autoimmune disease that causes skin to thicken and tighten..." Recommendation DMSO Topically "In an older study, later confirmed by others, Arthur Scherbel, MD, of the Department of Rheumatic Diseases and Pathology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, used DMSO on 42 scleroderma patients who had already exhausted all other possible therapies without relief..." Sjogren's Syndrome The Condition "...Scleroderma causes the body to accumulate too much collagen, a protein commonly found in the skin..." Vasculitis The Condition "...It is commonly associated with diseases such as SLE, scleroderma, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis and dermatomyositis..."

Last updated: May 10, 2007