What scleroderma looks like?
What scleroderma looks like?
Nearly everyone who has scleroderma experiences a hardening and tightening of patches of skin. These patches may be shaped like ovals or straight lines, or cover wide areas of the trunk and limbs. The number, location and size of the patches vary by type of scleroderma.
What does mild scleroderma look like?
Localized scleroderma is the mildest form of scleroderma. It does not affect the internal organs. There are two main types: morphea and linear scleroderma. Morphea: Symptoms include oval-shaped patches of lighter or darker skin, which may be itchy, hairless, and shiny.
Are systemic sclerosis and scleroderma the same?
The word “scleroderma” means hard skin in Greek, and the condition is characterized by the buildup of scar tissue (fibrosis) in the skin and other organs. The condition is also called systemic sclerosis because the fibrosis can affect organs other than the skin.
How bad is scleroderma?
Not only can it affect the skin, but it also can affect many internal organs, hindering digestive and respiratory functions, and causing kidney failure. Systemic scleroderma can sometimes become serious and life-threatening.
Can you live a long life with scleroderma?
In general, patients with limited scleroderma have a normal life expectancy. Some have problems with their GI tract, especially heartburn; severe Raynaud’s and musculoskeletal pain; and a small subset can develop pulmonary hypertension that can be life-threatening.
What can mimic scleroderma?
However, similar features of hard and thick skin can be seen in other conditions which are often referred to as “scleroderma mimics”. These mimics include eosinophilic fasciitis, nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, scleromyxedema, and scleredema among others.
How does scleroderma affect the structure of the skin?
Localized scleroderma is characterized by thickening of the skin from excessive collagen deposits. Collagen is a protein normally present in our skin that provides structural support. However, when too much collagen is made, the skin becomes stiff and hard. [1]
Is it possible for localized scleroderma to go away?
Often, localized conditions improve or go away on their own over time, but the skin changes and damage that occur when the disease is active can be permanent. For some people, localized scleroderma is serious and disabling.
Are there different types of scleroderma in different people?
There are many different types of scleroderma. In some people, scleroderma affects only the skin. But in many people, scleroderma also harms structures beyond the skin, such as blood vessels, internal organs and the digestive tract (systemic scleroderma). Signs and symptoms vary, depending on which type of scleroderma you have.
What does violet colored skin mean for scleroderma?
Some people develop violet-colored skin, which means that the scleroderma is active and expanding. This patient has darker and lighter (white) areas that are hard to the touch. Source: JAAD, “Borrelia-associated early-onset morphea” Prinz, Feb. 2009.