Introduction: Early diagnosis and treatment, by conventional methods, of patients with systemic lupus (SLE), systemic sclerosis (pss) and poly/dermato myositis (PDM) remarkably improve prognosis resulting in an increase in number of chronic patients in whom underlying abnormalities persist. Development of internal organ associations leading to life-threatening conditions such as lung disease has become increasingly common.

Objective:

To review RCTS of novel effective therapy for untoward serious manifestations in these Patients.

Methods:

Electronic searching of MEDLINE between 1963 and 1996.

Results:

Two reports on SLE were found; combination therapy and hemapheresis for brain and kidney lesions, two reports on pss; prostacyclin analogues for lung disease and cisapride for esophageal lesions. No report on PDM.

Discussion:

There were few RCTs. Those were short term frame and involved insufficient number of patients. Therefore, further studies are needed.