Scleroderma is an autoimmune rheumatic and chronic disease that affects the body by hardening connective tissue connective tissue is widespread it adds strength to organs and other parts of the body connective tissue is made of many kinds of proteins among them is collagen of the skin scleroderma literally means hard skin. Scleroderma or systemic sclerosis is a chronic connective tissue disease generally classified as one of the autoimmune rheumatic diseases the word scleroderma comes from two greek words sclero meaning hard and derma meaning skin. Mixed connective tissue disease has signs and symptoms of a combination of disorders primarily lupus scleroderma and polymyositis for this reason mixed connective tissue disease is sometimes referred to as an overlap disease more research is needed to understand this association treatment side effects. Scleroderma is a connective tissue disease causing fibrosis and commonly affects the skin and internal organs such as the gi tract lungs kidney and heart ketanserin is a drug that has been studied in the treatment of raynauds phenomenon and associated conditions. Connective tissue disease refers to a group of disorders involving the protein rich tissue that supports organs and other parts of the body examples of connective tissue are fat bone and cartilage