Scleroderma

Scleroderma: Introduction

Scleroderma: Derived from the Greek words "sklerosis," meaning hardness, and "derma," meaning skin, scleroderma literally means hard skin. Though it is often referred ... more about Scleroderma.

Scleroderma: A rare, progressive connective tissue disorder involving thickening and hardening of the skin and connective tissue. There are a number of forms of scleroderma with some forms being systemic (involving internal organs). More detailed information about the symptoms, causes, and treatments of Scleroderma is available below.

Symptoms of Scleroderma

• Skin symptoms
  • Skin thickening
  • Stiff skin
  • Hyperpigmentation
  • Shiny skin
• more symptoms...»

See full list of 76 symptoms of Scleroderma

Scleroderma: Complications

Review possible medical complications related to Scleroderma:

• Heart complications
  • Cardiomyopathy - see also symptoms of cardiomyopathy
  • Arrhythmias
  • Atrial arrhythmias
  • Ventricular arrhythmias
  • Heart failure
  • Congestive heart failure
• more complications...»

Medical Textbooks Online about Scleroderma

Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic Tests for Scleroderma

• Skin biopsy
• Symptomatic and supportive treatments
• more tests...»

Read more about tests for Scleroderma

Wrongly Diagnosed with Scleroderma?

• Misdiagnosis of Scleroderma
• Failure to diagnose Scleroderma
• Hidden causes of Scleroderma (possibly wrongly diagnosed)
• Undiagnosed: Scleroderma

Scleroderma: Marketplace Products, Discounts & Offers

Products, offers and promotion categories available for Scleroderma:

• Skin Health
• more product offers...»

Misdiagnosis and Scleroderma

Psoriasis often undiagnosed cause of skin symptoms in children: Children who suffer from the skin disorder called psoriasis can often go undiagnosed. The main problem is that psoriasis is rare in children, and not often seen by physicians for this reason. children may receive treatment for fungal skin infections. See misdiagnosis of psoriasis or symptoms of psoriasis....read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Scleroderma

Scleroderma: Research Doctors & Specialists

Research related physicians and medical specialists:

• Skin Health Specialists (Dermatology):
  • Dermatology (Skin Health Specialists)
  • Dermatopathology
  • Pediatric Dermatology (Child Skin Health)
  • Dermatological Immunology / Diagnostic Laboratory (Skin Allergies)
• more specialists...»

Other doctor, physician and specialist research services:

• Rate Your Doctor Online
• Research Your Doctor Online
• Review Patient Surveys About Your Doctor
• Research local specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.

Causes of Scleroderma

Read more about causes of Scleroderma.

More information about causes of Scleroderma:

• Scleroderma as a complication caused by other conditions
• Scleroderma as a symptom
• Medical news summaries relating to Causes of Scleroderma

Treatments for Scleroderma

• See also treatment of Raynaud's disease
• Treatments for various symptoms of scleroderma
• Treatments for various complications of scleroderma
• more treatments...»

Read more about treatments for Scleroderma

News Archives for Scleroderma

Medical news articles related to Scleroderma include:

• Tissue-Growth Gene Tied to Scleroderma
• more health news...»

Source: HealthDay News

Videos for Scleroderma

Patient Surveys for Scleroderma

• Patient Profile Survey
  Take Survey  View Results
• Survey about the symptoms of your Scleroderma
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Prognosis for Scleroderma

Prognosis for Scleroderma: For some people, scleroderma (particularly the localized forms) is fairly mild and resolves with time. But for others, living with the disease and its effects day to day has a significant impact on their quality of life. (Source: excerpt from Handout on Health Scleroderma: NIAMS) ... No cure exists, but timely intervention can improve the quality of life. (Source: excerpt from Connective Tissue Diseases: NWHIC)

More about prognosis of Scleroderma

Reseach about Scleroderma

Visit our research pages for current research about Scleroderma treatments.

Statistics for Scleroderma

• Medical statistics for Scleroderma
• Prevalence and incidence statistics for Scleroderma
• Death and Mortality statistics for Scleroderma
• Society statistics for Scleroderma

Scleroderma: Broader Related Topics

• Autoimmune diseases
• Connective tissue disorders
• Rheumatic conditions
• Blood vessel conditions
• Connective tissue disorders
• more types...»

Types of Scleroderma

Types of Scleroderma

• Localized Scleroderma
  • Morphea
  • Linear scleroderma - only a single line marking on the skin.
• Systemic Scleroderma (Systemic Sclerosis)
  • Limited scleroderma
• more types...»

See full list of 7 Types of Scleroderma

Curable Types of Scleroderma

Possibly curable types of Scleroderma include:

• CREST syndrome
• Diffuse scleroderma
• Limited scleroderma
• more types...»

Rare Types of Scleroderma:

Rare types of Scleroderma include:

• Pericardial effusion associated with scleroderma
• Erectile dysfunction associated with scleroderma
• Hypothyroidism associated with scleroderma
• Primary biliary cirrhosis related to scleroderma
• Trigeminal neuralgia associated to scleroderma
• Carpal tunnel syndrome associated to scleroderma
• more types...»

Stories from Users Related to Scleroderma

• Scleroderma misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia
• Is Scleroderma genetically transferable?
• Scleroderma
• help please scleroderma
• Morphea Scleroderma/keloid scars

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User Interactive Forums

Read about other experiences, ask a question about Scleroderma, or answer someone else's question, on our message boards:

• I can not get a diagnosis. Please help.
• Tell us your medical story.
• Share your misdiagnosis story.
• What is the best treatment for this?
• See all the forums.

Article Excerpts about Scleroderma

Handout on Health Scleroderma: NIAMS (Excerpt)

Derived from the Greek words "sklerosis," meaning hardness, and "derma," meaning skin, scleroderma literally means hard skin. Though it is often referred to as if it were a single disease, scleroderma is really a symptom of a group of diseases that involve the abnormal growth of connective tissue, which supports the skin and internal organs. It is sometimes used, therefore, as an umbrella term for these disorders. In some forms of scleroderma, hard, tight skin is the extent of this abnormal process. In other forms, however, the problem goes much deeper, affecting blood vessels and internal organs, such as the heart, lungs, and kidneys.

Scleroderma is called both a rheumatic (roo-MA-tik) disease and a connective tissue disease. The term rheumatic disease refers to a group of conditions characterized by inflammation and/or pain in the muscles, joints, or fibrous tissue. A connective tissue disease is one that affects the major substances in the skin, tendons, and bones. (Source: excerpt from Handout on Health Scleroderma: NIAMS)

Connective Tissue Diseases: NWHIC (Excerpt)

Scleroderma is an activation of immune cells which produces scar tissue in the skin, internal organs, and small blood vessels. It affects women three times more often than men overall, but increases to a rate 15 times greater for women during childbearing years, and appears to be more common among black women. (Source: excerpt from Connective Tissue Diseases: NWHIC)

Definitions of Scleroderma:

Systemic disorder of the connective tissue; manifested by hardening and thickening of the skin, by abnormalities involving the microvasculature and larger vessels, and by fibrotic degenerative changes in various body organs including the heart, lungs, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract. - (Source - Diseases Database)

An autoimmune disease that affects the blood vessels and connective tissue; fibrous connective tissue is deposited in the skin - (Source - WordNet 2.1)

Ophanet, a consortium of European partners, currently defines a condition rare when it affects 1 person per 2,000. They list Scleroderma as a "rare disease".
Source - Orphanet