Treatment
There is no direct cure for scleroderma. Because the exact cause is unknown, any treatment is patient-specific and aimed at ameliorating symptoms of the disease. For example, patients who experience Raynaud's phenomenon may be treated with agents to increase blood flow to the fingers, including nifedipine, amlodipine, diltiazem, felodipine, or nicardipine.
Fibrosis of the skin has been treated with varying degrees of success with agents such as D-penicillamine, colchicine, PUVA, relaxin, cyclosporine, and EPA (omega-3 oil derivative).
Because scleroderma is an autoimmune disease, one of the major pillars of treatment involves the use of immunosuppressive agents. These drugs include methotrexate, cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, and mycophenolate.
Read more about this topic: Scleroderma
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