title: A rare case of systemic sclerosis complicated with multiple autoimmune diseases (Sjögren's syndrome, Graves' disease, and primary biliary cirrhosis).
abstract: Abstract We report the case of a 54-year-old woman with systemic sclerosis and Sjögren's syndrome, followed by a simultaneous onset of Graves' disease and primary biliary cirrhosis. Eight years after the patient was diagnosed with systemic sclerosis and secondary Sjögren's syndrome, she complained of thirst and lower extremity muscle weakness. Initially, these symptoms were thought to be due to her original diseases, but laboratory data revealed thyroid dysfunction as well as liver dysfunction, and further tests confirmed the diagnoses of Graves' disease and primary biliary cirrhosis. The patient was treated with thiamazole and ursodeoxycholic acid. Following treatment, her symptoms were relieved, and laboratory data improved. Although a combination of these diseases is rare, it is important to keep in mind that various autoimmune diseases can occur simultaneously, and early detection and therapy are important.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Taga General Hospital , 2-1-2 Kokubun-cho, Hitachi 316-0035 , Japan.
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Iikuni
authors.forename: Midori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hanzawa
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishinarita