Home Parenteral Nutrition in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis: A Retrospective Review of 12 Cases

Objective. To evaluate the effect of home total parenteral nutrition (HTPN) on the nutritional and functional status of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Methods. Retrospective review of SSc patients from the HTPN database at the University Health Network, Toronto, Canada, from 1998 to 2010. Results: In total 12 subjects (9 females, 3 males) with SSc were identified. At initiation of HTPN, the age was 48.75 +/- 3.94 years and the median body mass index was 16.8 kg/m(2) (range 12.3-21.3). This significantly increased to 18.3 kg/m(2) (17.0-21.7) at 6 months and to 19.7 kg/m(2) (17.0-24.6) at 12 months. The mean Karnofsky score at baseline was 58.00 +/- 3.27, and the score at 12 months of 39.00 +/- 13.29 did not change significantly. Conclusion. HTPN improved the nutritional status of these patients with SSc but it did not improve their functional status. (First Release March 1 2012; J Rheumatol 2012;39:1004-7; doi:10.3899/jrheum.110896)