UT Southwestern Medical Center offers some of the most advanced therapies available for autoimmune diseases, which are often difficult to diagnose and treat. We are home to the Rheumatic Skin Disease Service and its licensed immunodermatology laboratory, which focuses care on patients with lupus and other autoimmune skin disorders. The Rheumatic Skin Disease Referral Center is the only one of its kind in Texas.

Our physicians are widely respected by their peers as leaders in the treatment of autoimmune diseases and have special interests in difficult-to-treat disorders such as lupus and scleroderma. Among the other autoimmune conditions we treat are vasculitis, connective-tissue disorders, neutrophilic diseases, sarcoidosis and bullous (blistering) diseases.

Our clinical trials program gives patients access to treatments often unavailable at other health-care facilities. Depending on the specific disease and the type of condition, UT Southwestern can offer patients therapies that show particular promise years before these therapies are offered to the public.

Members of the faculty play major roles in national research, service and patient-advocacy organizations, including the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease, Society for Investigative Dermatology, American Academy of Dermatology, and Association of Professors of Dermatology.

Two of our specialty clinical practices treat patients who have certain types of autoimmune disease:

• The Blistering Diseases Clinical Practice diagnoses and treats conditions manifested by blisters, some of which are autoimmune diseases.
  
  
• Our Hispanic Dermatology Clinical Practice focuses on the special needs of Hispanic patients, including some of the pigmentary disorders that are frequently found in this population group. Spanish-speaking medical personnel and Spanish language educational materials make this clinical practice a comprehensive resource.