SYSTEMIC-SCLEROSIS (SCLERODERMA) - PRESEN T KNOWLEDGE ON ETIOLOGY ANDPATHOGENESIS

Systemic sclerosis is a rare chronic disease with inflammatory and vas cular features leading to increased fibrosis of skin and internal orga ns. The pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis and scleroderma like diseas es appears to be influenced rather by environmental than by genetic fa ctors. Clinical and pathogenetic aspects of systemic sclerosis show si milarities to untreated chronic graft-versus-host-disease after bone m arrow transplantation. New insights into the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis give reason to hope that better therapeutic approaches will be developed in the future.