Successful Medical Treatment of Scleroderma Renal Crisis

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Abstract
RENAL disease is a frequent cause of death in scleroderma.1 2 3 4 Renal function can change either gradually or abruptly with the onset of a syndrome similar to malignant hypertension.4 This syndrome of severe uncontrolled hypertension and rapidly progressive renal failure (scleroderma renal crisis) had been considered uniformly and rapidly fatal1 , 4 5 6 7 8 9 until Richardson6 described a patient who survived after nephrectomy and hemodialysis. Subsequently, several patients have survived with hemodialysis or renal transplantation (or both) — often with bilateral nephrectomy as well. Long-term survival has not been reported with only medical antihypertensive therapy of scleroderma renal crisis.10 The present report documents our experience . . .