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If your child is diagnosed with systemic scleroderma (also called systemic sclerosis) we would be happy to see them at our multi-disciplinary juvenile systemic scleroderma (JSSc) center. This is a rare autoimmune disorder in children that causes thickness and tightening of the skin, decreased joint motion, and discoloration with coolness of the fingers and hands (Raynaud's phenomenon). Other internal organ involvement can occur in the muscle, heart, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract. These children need specialized medical treatment and physical and occupational therapy.
The Juvenile Systemic Scleroderma Center at UPMC Children's Hospital:
To schedule an appointment, email scleroderma@chp.edu or call 412-692-5081.
JSSc is an autoimmune connective tissue disorder. For unknown reasons, the body attacks and damages its own tissues.
The resulting inflammation causes thick skin or scar tissue to form in all parts of the body.
Children who get JSSc often first show signs of Raynaud's phenomenon. The fingers of a child with Raynaud's change color (white, blue, or red) and may feel numb or tingle when exposed to cold or stress.
Other signs or symptoms of JSSc may include:
There's no cure for JSSc. But we can help manage and control the disease by getting your child's inflammation under control.
The sooner we catch it, the better.
Treatments work best before the disease has progressed too far.
Our team of experts at the Juvenile Systemic Scleroderma Center works together to gain a comprehensive evaluation to recommend the best treatment for this rare condition.
Treatment may include:
Please make sure your rheumatologist faxes all your child's medical records before the first appointment. We will review your child's complete medical history beforehand.
This includes lab and imaging results from your child's rheumatologist. Imaging results on a CD sent ahead of time are also very important so our center can review the imaging ourselves with dedicated pediatric radiologists.
Our doctors will:
The Juvenile Systemic Scleroderma Center at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh is the only one of its kind in the U.S. We focus on caring for kids with this complex disorder following a multidisciplinary approach.
Our doctors are leaders in JSSc research.
Our cutting-edge research includes autologous stem cell transplant for treating JSSc. In this stem cell transplant, doctors use a person's own healthy stem cells to replace damaged cells.
Doctors
Locations
Children's Hospital's main campus is located in the Lawrenceville neighborhood. Our main hospital address is:
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh One Children’s Hospital Way 4401 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15224
In addition to the main hospital, Children's has many convenient locations in other neighborhoods throughout the greater Pittsburgh region.
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