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Guidelines for sites linking to mayoclinic.orgIntro: Have you ever been so cold that your fingers hurt? Maybe they turned blue or even white? Those symptoms are common for people with Raynaud's Disease. Most of the time, the symptoms are just a nuisance. But up to 30 percent of Raynaud's sufferers go on to develop a disease called scleroderma. It causes your skin to become tight, and can even damage internal organs. But one of the most debilitating symptoms is painful finger ulcers. More on a new drug from Mayo Clinic.
| Video | Audio |
| Total running time 1:26 | AS PAT MOORE PUSHES HER GRANDDAUGHTER ON THE SWINGS, YOU'D NEVER GUESS SHE'S SUFFERING FROM SCLERODERMA. ONLY A TRAINED EYE CAN SPOT THE SUBTLE SYMPTOMS OF EARLY STAGE DISEASE. |
Pat Moore Has Scleroderma |
"YOU HAVE THE REAL TIGHT MOUTH. PATIENTS WITH SCLERODERMA HAVE NO LIPS BASICALLY." |
| VO: Pat and family at park | SCLERODERMA IS CAUSING PAT'S IMMUNE SYSTEM TO ATTACK HER SKIN AND SOME INTERNAL TISSUES. AS A RESULT SHE DEVELOPED ACID REFLUX AND HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE IN HER LUNGS. BUT THE WORST SYMPTOMS SHE SAYS ARE THE FINGER ULCERS. |
| Pat Moore | "MY FINGERS ACTUALLY LOOKED LIKE SAUSAGES EXPLODING." |
| VO: Pat rummaging in purse | THE ULCERS MADE SIMPLE TASKS LIKE DIGGING IN HER PURSE HURT. |
| Pat Moore | "IT'S KIND OF LIKE AN ELECTRIC SHOCK." |
To Dr. Osborn |
BUT TODAY PAT'S FINGERS AREN'T SO BAD. THAT MAY BE THANKS TO A DRUG CALLED BOSANTIN THAT'S BEING STUDIED AT MAYO CLINIC. |
Thomas Osborn, M.D. Mayo Clinic Rheumatologist |
"WE'RE TESTING A NEW DRUG TO SEE IF SHE GETS LESS SORES ON HER FINGERS." |
Standup Vivien Williams Reporting Fade to animation |
DR. THOMAS OSBORN SAYS PEOPLE WITH SCLERODERMA HAVE POOR CIRCULATION IN THEIR FINGERS, ESPECIALLY IN COLD WEATHER. THE REDUCED BLOOD FLOW CAUSES ULCERS. EVENTUALLY CALCIUM DEPOSITS FORM AND THE TISSUE DETERIORATES. THE NEW DRUG DILATES THE BLOOD VESSELS AND IMPROVES BLOOD FLOW. HOPEFULLY IT WILL PREVENT AND HEAL FINGER ULCERS. |
| Thomas Osborn, M.D. | "THIS IS A CALCIFICATION. AN ULCER...." |
| AN ADVANCED PHASE OF SCLERODERMA THAT PAT HOPES THE NEW DRUG WILL HELP HER AVOID. SO SHE CAN USE HER FINGERS TO EMBRACE HER GRAND CHILD AND ENJOY AFTERNOONS AT THE PARK. | |
| FOR MEDICAL EDGE, I'M VIVIEN WILLIAMS. |
Tag: Dr. Osborn says this drug is not a cure for scleroderma or all of its symptoms. The disease effects different people in different ways and requires several types of drugs to keep it under control. But he hopes results of this study will show that the drug bosantin reduces the number of finger sores for patients with scleroderma. For more information on scleroderma, log onto our Web site at ...
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