Clinic services continue to grow, now offering a combined scleroderma lung clinic at which Dr. P. Wilcox either treats or is following over 100 patients. There is a quarterly combined PAH clinic with Drs Levy and Swiston as well as a hand surgery, at which Dr. Goetz now operates on hands and removes calcium using the same methods used at Professor Dame Carol Black’s unit in London (UK).

Dr. Dunne treats many people with severe or catastrophic Raynaud’s disease and continues to work on angiogenesis with UNBC Prof. Kevin Keen and partners. He is involved in the SCOT and DETECT studies named above and is pursuing the opportunity to cooperate with the iCapture centre at St Paul’s in fibrosis studies.

‘With none readily available to them, and for speed in processing patients, and as an aid to all, a scanner is near the top of the St. Paul’s Scleroderma Clinic Wish List.  SABC has initiated a collection of monies for the purchase of a scanner for the Clinic.  Details of it are being forwarded by Dr. Dunne, and our goal is $60,000.  If you’d like to help us reach our goal, you may wish to use Canada Helps at the ‘Donate Now’ button on the left….your support will be deeply appreciated.

A new study, lead by Dr. Pearce Wilcox, is now underway at St. Paul’s Hospital for patients with systemic sclerosis (scleroderma). The purpose of the study is to evaluate a new potential screening method for early detection of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in scleroderma patients.

Patients with systemic sclerosis are at risk of developing pulmonary complications, including PH. PH is a condition where blood pressure in vessels leading to the lungs (pulmonary arteries) is abnormally high. Without treatment, PH can progress and lead to right-sided heart failure.Thus, early detection and management of PH are important in reducing the development and progression of PH. Currently the standard test for detecting pulmonary hypertension is right heart catheterization.

This study investigates whether other tests, specifically exercise-based, can be used as an early detection of pulmonary hypertension in individuals with systemic sclerosis. Following a patient over a period of three-years, this exercise testing consists of an annual exercise, a blood test and echocardiography which will look at B-type Natriuretic Peptide. It is suggested that signs of right heart failure and PH may be demonstrated through abnormal exercise testing results.