Progression of esophageal dysmotility in systemic sclerosis.

Objective: To longitudinally evaluate esophageal dysmotility (ED) in patients with limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (lcSSc) and diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc).

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of all adult patients with SSc seen between 1995 and 2008. Patients were included if they had undergone 2 or more esophageal transit scintigraphy (ETS) studies at least 1 year apart.

Thalidomide therapy for recalcitrant systemic onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

Systemic onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis unresponsive to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be controlled with corticosteroids, but these drugs have significant side effects. We report 2 steroid-dependent children with systemic onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis who did not respond to multiple nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, methotrexate, azathioprine, cyclosporine, and etanercept. Both children had significant improvement with thalidomide therapy.