Scleroderma is the name given to hardening of the skin
which is found in a number of skin and connective tissue diseases. Most commonly, scleroderma will appear as patches of thickened, tight skin across the body. There are 2 main types:
Localised scleroderma is sometimes called ‘morphoea’ (see the image below). It affects the skin and sometimes the deeper skin and muscle tissues directly beneath it. It more commonly starts in childhood and doesn’t have associated disease in internal organs. Neither does it cause autoimmune antibodies (antibodies produced by your body that attack healthy cells instead of attacking bacteria or viruses). Read more about autoimmune diseases.
Linear scleroderma is thickened skin occurring in lines along the face, scalp, legs or arms. Occasionally it affects underlying bone and muscle. Linear scleroderma may improve after a few years, although it can affect the growth or movement of limbs.
- Systemic sclerosis affects 5 times as many women as men, and the average age at diagnosis is around the 40s.
- It’s rare, with prevalence varying from 30–500 cases per million.
- It’s an autoimmune disease, therefore first degree family members (parent, full sibling, child) may be at a higher risk of being diagnosed with systemic sclerosis as well.
There are several types of systemic sclerosis, the most common types are outlined below.
Limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (lcSSc) where you develop skin tightening over the face and below the elbows and knees and may also have gastroesophageal reflux disease. This type develops slowly and is often associated with pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the blood vessels that supply the lungs – the pulmonary arteries).
CREST Syndrome is a very, very rare condition that includes a combination of the following signs:
- Calcinosis cutis (chalky calcium deposits under the skin).
- Raynaud’s phenomenon (when the blood circulation in your fingers and toes is affected by cold).
- Esophageal dysmotility (where the tube carrying food and liquid from your mouth to your stomach doesn’t work properly).
- Sclerodactyly (tightening and thickening of the skin on your fingers).
- Telangiestasias (dilated or broken blood vessels near the surface of the skin).
Diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc).
Affects various parts of the body including blood vessels, joints, the digestive system (oesophagus, stomach and bowel) and occasionally the lungs, heart and kidneys. Systemic scleroderma is more common in adults.
Systemic sclerosis sine scleroderma is a สมัคร ufabet กับเรา รับโบนัสทันที rare subtype without skin symptoms. People with this have internal organs affected by the conditions (as with dcSSc), Raynaud’s phenomenon and auto-antibodies (as with SSc).
The symptoms vary greatly from person to person depending. What part of your body is involved and what the underlying disease may be. Symptoms can include any of the following:
- Thickening and hardening of the skin on the hands, arms and face.
- Stiffness and pain in the muscles and/or joints.
- Swelling of the hands and feet, especially in the morning.
- Thinning of the pads at the finger tips.
- Small, white, chalky lumps (calcium deposits) under the skin (calcinosis cutis).
- Indigestion or heartburn.
- Diarrhoea or constipation.
- Shortness of breath or reduced ability to exercise.
- Kidney problems and high blood pressure.
- Raynaud’s phenomenon where the fingers or toes turn white, then blue in the cold, and then red as blood flow returns. This is cause by narrowing of the blood vessels. Raynaud’s phenomenon. Can experienced on its own, but most people with scleroderma will have symptoms of Raynaud’s at some time and it is often one of the first symptoms to appear.
How do scleroderma and systemic sclerosis progress?
The experience of scleroderma and systemic sclerosis is different for everyone. For most people scleroderma starts slowly, affecting just a few parts of the body. It gradually gets worse at the affected site but usually becomes stable. After a few years. Some people find their symptoms improve in summer but become worse in winter. Localised scleroderma doesn’t develop into the systemic form.
People with systemic sclerosis can develop serious problems with other organs. So you may need to see a specialist if you have this condition.