Step by Step

INTRODUCTION

Professional Profile Details

QUIZ

EVALUATION

CERTIFICATE

INTRODUCTION

Credit Hours: 0.75

Target Audience:

This activity is directed to physicians who take care of hospitalized children, medical students, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants working in the emergency room, intensive care unit, or hospital wards.

Educational Objectives:

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

  • Compare the clinical presentations of localized and systemic scleroderma.
  • Evaluate current updates and recent changes in the treatment of scleroderma.
  • Identify organ systems affected by scleroderma and select appropriate diagnostic testing methods for evaluation.


There is no educational content to this course. This course is designed to only administer the post-test and collect CME evaluations for the podcast associated with this training.

Suggested Additional Reading:

  1. Branton SA, Torok KS. Longitudinal Assessment of the Juvenile Systemic Sclerosis Severity Score: Application in the National Registry for Childhood Onset Scleroderma. ACR Open Rheumatol. 2026 Mar;8(3):e90008. doi: 10.1002/acr2.90008. PMID: 41792032; PMCID: PMC12965847.
  2. de Rosas EC, Wang JC, Zigler CK, Torok KS. Methotrexate and Mycophenolate Mofetil and Clinical Response in Juvenile Localized Scleroderma. JAMA Dermatol. 2026 Mar 1;162(3):271-278. doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2025.5662. PMID: 41604178; PMCID: PMC12853288.
  3. Stefancic S, Robinson A, Havrilla HJ, Sood V, Torok KS. Gastrointestinal Impact and Tool Performance in Juvenile Systemic Sclerosis Using the University of California, Los Angeles Scleroderma Clinical Trial Consortium Gastrointestinal Tract, Version 2.0 Assessment. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2026 Apr;78(4):449-455. doi: 10.1002/acr.25643. Epub 2026 Feb 11. PMID: 40888178.
  4. Eldib A, Aldhmour M, Feistritzer C, Bayraktutar BN, Gagrani M, Pihlblad MS, Luchansky C, Branton S, Scanga H, Tripi K, Budilovsky S, Havrilla H, Torok KS, Nischal KK. Ophthalmic findings in pediatric patients with craniofacial scleroderma. J AAPOS. 2025 Aug;29(4):104269. doi: 10.1016/j.jaapos.2025.104269. Epub 2025 Jul 24. PMID: 40712919.
  5. Wobma H, Ardoin SP, Bonifant CL, Cooper JC, Kim H, Sadun RE, Lewandowski L, Keller M, Colbert RA, Edens C, DeQuattro K, Driest K, Shalen J, Stojkic I, Knight A, Annesley C, Torok KS, Elgarten CW, Onishi T, Jackson SW, Prockop S, Shah NN, Ardalan K, Lamb M; Integrated Multidisciplinary Paediatric Autoimmunity and Cell Therapy (IMPACT) working group*. CAR T cell therapy for children with rheumatic disease: the time is now. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2025 Aug;21(8):494-506. doi: 10.1038/s41584-025-01272-3. Epub 2025 Jul 2. PMID: 40603629; PMCID: PMC12764449.
  6. Vasquez-Canizares N, Pain CE, Zulian F, Yildiz AA, Appenzeller S, Marrani E, Giudice ED, Petaccia A, Tirelli F, Simonini G, Çakan M, Cattalini M, Julio PR, Torok K, Khubchandani R, Kasapcopur O, Robinson L, Al-Abadi E, Gunalp A, Lu M, Lythgoe H, Robinson A, Sozeri B, Shenoi S, Willis E, Clarke K, Zheng R, Castaldi B, Leone V, Maniscalco V, Stead L, Ambartsumyan L, Rosser F, Duong P, Minuti A, Li SC, Twilt M. Correction: Developing consensus outcome measures in juvenile systemic sclerosis: a global survey of pediatric rheumatologists and literature review. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. 2025 Jun 23;23(1):68. doi: 10.1186/s12969-025-01117-z. Erratum for: Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. 2025 May 2;23(1):46. doi: 10.1186/s12969-025-01100-8. PMID: 40551202; PMCID: PMC12186311.
  7. Pain CE, Lythgoe H, Willis E, Sampath S, Deepak S, Torok KS, Duong PH, Moledina S, Silva J, Pilkington C, Al-Abadi E, Denton CP. Evaluating the relevance of the 2024 BSR systemic sclerosis guideline for juvenile systemic sclerosis. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2025 Sep 1;64(9):5179-5181. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/keaf249. PMID: 40397153.
  8. Foeldvari I, Torok KS, Silva J, Denton CP, Henes J, Horvei P, Rosser F, Orteu CH, Li SC, Pain CE, Constantin T, Costa-Reis P, Curran ML, Cutolo M, Hinrichs B, Fligelstone K, Maillard S, Moinzadeh P, Pilkington C, Schraven L, Smith V. Guidance for stem cell therapy for juvenile systemic sclerosis patients. Expert Rev Clin Immunol. 2025 Apr;21(4):435-450. doi: 10.1080/1744666X.2025.2474216. Epub 2025 Mar 24. PMID: 40056160.

Authors:
Kathryn S. Torok, MD — Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Clinical and Translational Science Director, Pediatric Scleroderma Clinic, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Co-Director, Pediatric Craniofacial Scleroderma Clinic, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
No relationships with industry relevant to the content of this educational activity have been disclosed.
Tony R. Tarchichi, MD — Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC.) Paul C. Gaffney Diagnostic Referral Group
No relationships with industry relevant to the content of this educational activity have been disclosed.
No other members of the planning committee, speakers, presenters, authors, content reviewers and/or anyone else in a position to control the content of this education activity have relevant financial relationships with any companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.

In support of improving patient care, the University of Pittsburgh is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine designates this enduring material activity for a maximum of 0.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Each physician should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Other health care professionals will receive a certificate of attendance confirming the number of contact hours commensurate with the extent of participation in this activity.

The University of Pittsburgh is an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution.