Diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune diseases

Symptoms and affected organs

Autoimmune diseases manifest themselves in many different ways:

• Skin diseases: blistering diseases (technical term: pemphigus, pemphigoid, epidermis bullosa acquisita, etc.)
• Inflammation of skin vessels (technical term: vasculitis)
• Joint symptoms: this disease is known as rheumatoid arthritis (technical terms: lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, dermatomyositis, etc.)
• Graf-versus-host diseases of the skin

The affected areas of skin are reddened, painful or itchy.

Diagnostics

• Careful clinical examination to determine whether and which substances are stored in the skin in excessive quantities
• Blood tests:
  • Immunofluorescence examination for the detection of immune deposits in the skin
  • Immunoserology (in collaboration with the Department of Clinical Immunology and the Institute of Clinical Chemistry) to determine

Treatment

• External treatment of the affected skin areas with creams, gels (corticosteroids, light protection preparations or preparations for wound care
• Oral medication to reduce the overproduction of the triggering substances:
  • • Corticosteroids, methotrexate, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, cyclosporine, immunoglobulin, extracorporeal photophoresis
• General measures (advice on avoiding factors that promote the disease and a lifestyle adapted to the disease activity)

Cooperation

We work closely with the Department of Immunology at the USZ to discuss difficult cases on an interdisciplinary basis and determine the best possible treatment for those affected.

Patient Organizations

Scleroderma support groups:

• Swiss Association of Scleroderma Patients (SVS)
• Scleroderma Self-Help e. V.