title: Functional outcome in a patient with an acute quadriparesis secondary to systemic sclerosis: a case report.
abstract: Scleroderma or systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a relatively uncommon disease. Although well-known for many years, research on appropriate physical therapy during all stages of myositis due to scleroderma is limited. We report the functional outcome in a patient with an acute quadriparesis secondary to diffuse SSc associated with extensive myositis. This 35-year-old black woman progressed to almost complete functional recovery in the course of 16 days of acute rehabilitation with combined physical therapy including resistive exercises. This case strongly suggests that a patient with diffuse SSc and associated myositis can undergo aggressive physical therapy in a monitored environment with good functional improvement and no worsening of the myositis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, MA 02118-2398, USA. ivantchernev@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chernev
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gustafson
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Medina-Bravo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome