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    Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2005 Aug;31(3):549-65, viii.

    Treatment of mixed connective tissue disease.

    Kim P, Grossman JM.

    Division of Rheumatology, University of California at Los Angeles, Box 951670, 1000 Veteran Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1670, USA. pkim@mednet.ucla.edu

    Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) is believed to be incurable and seems to have a variable prognosis. Some patients have a mild self-limited disease, whereas others develop major organ involvement that requires aggressive treatment. Because no controlled clinical trials have been performed to guide therapy in MCTD, treatment strategies must rely largely upon the conventional therapies that are used for similar problems in other rheumatic conditions (systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, polymyositis). Given the heterogeneous clinical course of MCTD, therapy should be individualized to address the specific organ involved and the severity of underlying disease activity. Corticosteroids, antimalarials, methotrexate, cytotoxics (most often cyclophosphamide), and vasodilators have been used in the treatment of MCTD with varying degrees of success.

    PMID: 16084325 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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    Patient drug information

    • Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan®, Neosar®)

      Your doctor has ordered the drug cyclophosphamide to help treat your illness. The drug can be taken by mouth in tablet form or be given by injection into a vein.

    • Methotrexate (Rheumatrex®, Trexall®)

      Methotrexate is used to treat severe psoriasis (a skin disease in which red, scaly patches form on some areas of the body) that cannot be controlled by other treatments. Methotrexate is also used along with rest, physica...