Effects of Octreotide Acetate Treatment for Scleroderma Bowel

We describe two scleroderma patients with severe gastrointestinal involvement successfully treated with octreotide acetate. The patients received daily subcutaneous infusion of octreotide acetate for three weeks. Improvement of intestinal motility was observed within two weeks after the first infusion. Remission of the patients' symptoms was maintained for more than a year after the treatment. Nomajor side effects were observed except for slight diarrhea. Octreotide acetate could be a useful treatment not only for the early stage of scleroderma bowel but also for the advanced stage of the disease.