The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Scleroderma includes the 72 symptoms listed below:
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The list of other diseases or medical conditions that may be on the differential diagnosis list of alternative diagnoses for Scleroderma includes:
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Medical Books Excerpts Excerpts of published medical book chapters related to Scleroderma are available from published medical books for more detailed information about Scleroderma.
Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
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Scleroderma typically begins with Raynaud’s phenomenon — blanching, cyanosis, and erythema of the fingers and toes in response to stress or exposure to cold. Progressive phalangeal resorption may shorten the fingers.
Compromised circulation, which results from abnormal thickening of the arterial intima, may cause slowly healing ulcerations on the tips of the fingers or toes that may lead to gangrene. Raynaud’s phenomenon may precede scleroderma by months or years.
Later symptoms include pain, stiffness, and finger and joint swelling. Skin thickening produces taut, shiny skin over the entire hand and forearm. Facial skin also becomes tight and inelastic, causing a masklike appearance and “pinching” of the mouth. As tightening progresses, contractures may develop.
GI dysfunction causes frequent reflux, heartburn, dysphagia, and bloating after meals. These symptoms may cause the patient to decrease food intake and lose weight. Other GI effects include abdominal distention, diarrhea, constipation, and malodorous floating stools.
In advanced disease, cardiac and pulmonary fibrosis produce arrhythmias and dyspnea. Renal involvement is usually accompanied by malignant hypertension, the main cause of death.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Source: The 5-Minute Pediatric Consult, 2008
This autoimmune disease results in thickening of the skin and blood vessels. Almost every patient with scleroderma has Raynaud's, which is a spasm of the blood vessels of the fingers and toes. Symptoms of Raynaud's include increased sensitivity of the fingers and toes to the cold, changes in skin color, pain, and occasionally ulcers of the fingertips or toes. In people with scleroderma, thickening of skin and blood vessels can result in loss of movement and shortness of breath or, more rarely, in kidney, heart, or lung failure. The estimated number of people with any type of scleroderma varies from study to study but may range from 1 to 4 affected individuals for every 10,000 Americans (or as many as 1 out of 2500 individuals). (Source: excerpt from Understanding Autoimmune Disease: NIAID)
In most patients, the first symptoms are Raynaud's phenomenon and swelling and puffiness of the fingers or hands. Skin thickening follows a few months later. Other symptoms include skin ulcers on the fingers, joint stiffness in the hands, pain, sore throat, and diarrhea. (Source: excerpt from Connective Tissue Diseases: NWHIC)
When considering symptoms of Scleroderma, it is also important to consider Scleroderma as a possible cause of other medical conditions. The Disease Database lists the following medical conditions that Scleroderma may cause:
These general reference articles may be of interest in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:
Full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis
The symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Scleroderma. This signs and symptoms information for Scleroderma has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of Scleroderma signs or Scleroderma symptoms. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Scleroderma may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they are indeed Scleroderma symptoms.
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