[Treatment and course of a man with systemic sclerosis before and after hematopoetic blood stem cell transplantation]

A 66-year-old patient presented in our clinic with increasing painful swelling of his hands, whole body stiffness, weight loss and dyspnoea upon exercise.

The physical examination revealed a marked skin sclerosis of hands, extremities and the face. Fist closure was impossible. Pulmonary CT scan showed lung fibrosis and ground glass opacities. Antinuclear antibodies and antibodies against Scl70 were positive. CRP, LDH, NT-Pro-BNP were elevated.

A diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis with an active interstitial pneumonia and lung fibrosis was diagnosed. Three pulses of cyclophosphamide 1.4 g every three weeks were ineffective to halt the progression of skin sclerosis, joint contractures and decline of pulmonary function. Mobilisation chemotherapy was initialized and blood stem cells were harvested. Blood stem cells were reinfused after myeloablative chemotherapy with melphalan. A maintainance therapy with mycophenolic acid was initiated after recovery of hematopoiesis. Six months after blood stem cell transplantation a decrease of skin sclerosis and an increasing recovery of joint mobility and physical strength was observed.

Patients with a progressive systemic sclerosis and further risk factors should be treated with high-dose chemotherapy with blood stem cell transplantation before organ function is severely compromised. In cases with contraindications against cyclophosphamide or anti-thymocyte-globulin melphalan can be discussed as an alternative.