Title: Scleroderma - UCLA Robert G. Kardashian Center for Esophageal Health - Los Angeles, CA
Headings: 
What is scleroderma?
What causes scleroderma?
What are the symptoms of scleroderma?
How is scleroderma diagnosed?
How is scleroderma treated?

Content: This produces symptoms of bloating, gas and diarrhea. It can also cause intestinal pseudo-obstruction, which is defined as signs and symptoms of intestinal obstruction without mechanical obstruction. Scleroderma involving the stomach produces gastroparesis, which is failed or very slow gastric emptying of ingested food. The symptoms of gastroparesis include early satiety (filling up quickly), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Esophageal dysfunction is a common feature of scleroderma. There is a ring of muscle positioned at the junction of the esophagus and stomach (the esophagogastric junction or EGJ) called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). When swallowing is not occurring it is contracted, closing the EGJ and producing a barrier to the reflux of injurious gastric contents back into the esophagus. Scleroderma patients often have a weak or incompetent LES, which predisposes them to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Pathological acid reflux frequently produces symptoms of heartburn (a burning sensation in the chest) and/or regurgitation (the unforced return of stomach or esophageal contents to the mouth or throat). Left untreated, GERD can cause esophagitis, esophageal ulceration, esophageal strictures or Barrett's esophagus, which can be a precursor to esophageal cancer.