Is there today a place for corticosteroids in the treatment of scleroderma?

ABSTRACT

In systemic sclerosis (SSc), the use of corticosteroids (CS) is controversial due to their association with scleroderma renal crisis (SRC). However, patients with very early and early disease, characterised by main inflammatory component, may benefit from CS therapy. The aim of this review is to discuss pros and cons of CS treatment in SSc, providing current evidence about the use of CS in SSc. Moreover, we discuss also the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms that may be the background for the potential harms and efficacy of CS in SSc.