THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES FOR SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS: A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS
Yatsyshyn R.I., Drogomeretska O.I.
Summary. Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by vascular abnormalities and fibrosis in multiple organs. The treatment of SSc is complex due to its heterogeneity, necessitating a multidisciplinary approach to address various aspects of its pathogenesis. Aim. Our research is aimed at analyzing the specifics of therapy for patients with SSc and comparing national strategies and international regulations for the treatment of this disease. Methods. Our study, carried out in the format of a retrospective analysis, covered the medical records of 55 patients with systemic scleroderma stored in the electronic database of the KNP «Regional Clinical Hospital of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Council». The 2013 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) classification criteria and national guidelines were used for analysis. The study participants were adults and were undergoing inpatient treatment during the period 2018–2023 in the rheumatology department. Information was systematized using Microsoft Excel, and statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results. The analysis of medical records revealed that the majority of patients with SSc received anti-inflammatory/analgesic drugs during therapy (n=38; 69%). The use of cytostatic drugs was observed in 30.9% of cases, mainly methotrexate (n=20) and cyclophosphamide (n=9). More than half of the patients (52.7%) used prostaglandin drugs, especially alprostadil. Also, a large part of patients (n=22; 40%) took nifedipine. Means for correcting the rheological properties of blood were used in almost every third patient with SSc (n=17; 30.9%). Conclusion. The therapeutic approaches implemented in Ukrainian medical institutions align with global standards and guidelines, focusing on both pathogenetic and symptomatic treatment for systemic scleroderma. Nevertheless, the lack of progress in targeted therapy presents challenges in attaining optimal treatment outcomes for individuals with systemic sclerosis.
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