A disease of the body’s connective tissue. The most common symptom is a thickening and hardening of the skin, particularly of the hands and face.
A collagen disease which thickens connective tissue and produces a hard thick skin.
A skin disease characterized by increased thickness.
Scleroderma is an autoimmune disorder that can affect the skin or the internal organs. In individuals with scleroderma, the immune system causes cells to overproduce collagen. The excess collagen causes normal tissue in the skin or internal organs to be replaced with dense, thick tissue. Scleroderma that affects only the skin or muscles is known as localized scleroderma. Localized scleroderma is far more common in children than is systemic sclerosis, the type of scleroderma where the internal organs are involved (Scleroderma Foundation, 2000). However, systemic sclerosis is much more serious and life- threatening. Scleroderma is not contagious and does not appear to be inherited.
A chronic and progressive hardening of skin and connective tissues that produces generalized edema and limitation in movements.
A chronic autoimmune disease of the connective tissue. Scleroderma is a relatively rare disease that involves symptoms that are most apparent when they affect the skin. If the skin is unaffected, the person may have internal organ abnormalities affecting the heart, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and kidneys.
Persistent hardening and contraction of the body’s connective tissue. It can affect any part, including the skin, heart, kidney, lung, or esophagus (gullet). Scleroderma may be localized or it can spread slowly throughout the body, eventually causing death (there is no effective treatment). The skin is thickened and tough, often with pigmented patches.
A rare autoimmune disease. Scleroderma circumscriptum (morphoea) affects the skin, usually of the trunk, producing indurated plaques which resolve over many years. The more serious systemic form of scleroderma usually begins with raynaud’s disease, eventually producing a deforming hardening and clawing of the hands. Later the face and sometimes the internal organs, particularly the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys, may be affected.
A chronic manifestation of progressive systemic sclerosis in which the skin is taut, firm, and edematous, limiting movement.
A condition that initially targets the skin and subsequently impacts specific internal organs. The initial indications involve the skin’s development of hardness, thickening, and contraction.
This is a gradually advancing condition marked by the skin becoming rigid and thickened. As the condition advances, the internal organs also become involved.
A condition marked by the hardening and thickening of the skin, either in specific patches or widespread areas, accompanied by pigmentation. The skin tightly binds to the tissues beneath, potentially rendering joints stiff and unmovable. Ulcers might also develop. This disease is also known as scleriasis, dermatosclerosis, chorionitis, morphoea, white spot disease, sclerodermia, sclerodactylia, acrosclerosis, and systemic sclerosis.