A prospective, randomized, double-blind trial compared topical therapy with 0.85% normal saline, Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is a highly polar organic solvent which was introduced for clinical studies in 1963. Because long-term toxicity studies with DMSO showed changes in the refractive index of the lens of some species of treated animals, the Food and Drug Administration severely restricted clinical testing (1). Limited clinical testing was subsequently permitted in 1968. Ocular toxicity in humans has not been described, but efficacy remains controversial (2). While DMSO has been recommended for the treatment of many conditions, controlled data have been lacking.Patients with scleroderma (systemic sclerosis) are known to develop painful cutaneous ulcerations, particularly on the fingertips and on the dorsum of the proximal interphalangeal and metacarpophalangeal joints (3-5). These ulcers can also occur on the skin overlying the olecranon, the malleolus, and calcaneus. The ulcerations may become secondarily infected and are difficult to treat. Treatment is nonspecific and