Scleroderma of the Small Intestine

Abstract

Involvement of the small intestine in scleroderma appears to be more common than was formerly supposed. The cause of the disease is obscure, and the clinical states associated with it range from spruelike syndromes to conditions resembling mechanical intestinal obstruction. In a series of 11 patients, the most prominent gastrointestinal complaint was vomiting. The most characteristic roentgenographic finding was persistent dilatation of the intestinal loops after passage of barium.