The management of renal scleroderma: experience with dialysis, nephrectomy and transplantation

In 25 of 100 patients with scleroderma seen over a five year period irreversible renal failure developed; renal support was instituted in 17. Ten of 17 received peritoneal or hemodialysis, one survived. The remaining seven received hemodialysis plus nephrectomy; three survived. Two of these three underwent renal transplantation; one survived. This experience is presented to encourage improvement of these and other technics to increase the survival rate in the otherwise uniformly fatal renal failure associated with scleroderma (systemic sclerosis).