Also called: Also called: Circumscribed scleroderma, Dermatosclerosis, Morphea, Systemic sclerosis
Scleroderma means hard skin. It is a group of diseases that causes abnormal growth of connective tissue, the proteins that support your skin and organs. There are two main types. Localized scleroderma affects only your skin. Systemic scleroderma affects your blood vessels and internal organs, as well as your skin.
Symptoms of scleroderma include
- Calcium deposits in connective tissues
- Raynaud's phenomenon, narrowing of blood vessels in the hands or feet
- Swelling of the esophagus, the tube between your throat and stomach
- Thick, tight skin on your fingers
- Red spots on your hands and face
No one knows what causes scleroderma. It is more common in women. It can be mild or severe. There is no cure, but various treatments can relieve symptoms.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
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What Is Scleroderma?
(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Scleroderma/scleroderma_ff.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.niams.nih.gov/Portal_En_Espanol/Informacion_de_Salud/Esclerodermia/default.asp
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Handout on Health: Scleroderma(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Scleroderma/default.asp
- Scleroderma(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/scleroderma/DS00362/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- What You Need to Know about Scleroderma(Cleveland Clinic Foundation) - http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/scleroderma/rheumatology_overview.aspx
- New Study Using Combination of Bioengineered Skin and Stem Cells Shows Promise in Treatment of Non-Healing Wounds of Scleroderma(03/05/2009, American Academy of Dermatology) - http://www.aad.org/media/background/news/Releases/New_Study_Using_Combination_of_Bioengineered_Skin_/
- ANA (Antinuclear Antibody Test)(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/ana/test.html
- Treatment Information(Scleroderma Research Foundation) - http://www.srfcure.org/srf/patients/treatment.htm
- Limited Scleroderma (CREST Syndrome)(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/crest-syndrome/DS00580/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Morphea(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/morphea/DS00718/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Scleroderma, Localized(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Scleroderma,+Localized%22
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Scleroderma, Systemic(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Scleroderma,+Systemic%22
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Scleroderma(National Institutes of Health) - Links to PDF - http://www.nih.gov/about/researchresultsforthepublic/Scleroderma.pdf
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Iloprost therapy acutely decreases oxidative stress in patients affected by... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19210877&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: B cell depletion with rituximab in patients with diffuse cutaneous... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19180481&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Neuronal regulators and vascular dysfunction in Raynaud's phenomenon and systemic... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19149638&tool=MedlinePlus
- Scleroderma -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(scleroderma,localized[majr]+OR+scleroderma,systemic[majr])+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- American College of Rheumatology: Geographic Membership Directory(American College of Rheumatology) - http://www.rheumatology.org/directory/geo.asp
- Support Group Websites(Scleroderma Foundation) - http://www.scleroderma.org/support.shtm
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National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.niams.nih.gov/Portal_En_Espanol/
- Scleroderma Research Foundation - http://www.srfcure.org/
- Getting to Know Your Child's Health Care Team(Juvenile Scleroderma Network) - http://www.jsdn.org/archmedart/healthcareteam.htm
- I'm Taking My Child to an Adult Rheumatologist -- Why Should It Make a Difference?(Juvenile Scleroderma Network) - http://www.jsdn.org/archmedart/takingchildtoadultrheumat.htm
- Juvenile Scleroderma: Your Child’s School and Educational Rights(Juvenile Scleroderma Network) - http://www.jsdn.org/education.htm
- Laboratory Tests in Juvenile Scleroderma(Juvenile Scleroderma Network) - http://www.jsdn.org/archmedart/jsdlabtests.htm
- Treatment of Juvenile Scleroderma(Juvenile Scleroderma Network) - http://www.jsdn.org/archmedart/jstreatment.htm
- What Is Juvenile Scleroderma?(Juvenile Scleroderma Network) - http://www.jsdn.org/whatisjsd.htm
- Raynaud's Disease - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/raynaudsdisease.html
- Immune System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/immunesystem.html
- Skin, Hair and Nails - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/skinhairandnails.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Scleroderma is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/