Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease — a condition caused when your immune system attacks your body’s healthy tissue. Because scleroderma can affect your joints, bones, muscles and connective tissue, it is also considered a rheumatic condition.
Localized scleroderma
Localized scleroderma is a milder type. Localized scleroderma rarely spreads and rarely affects your internal organs.
Localized scleroderma is either morphea or linear in type. If you have morphea scleroderma, you may have waxy patches of skin that vary in size and shape. Linear scleroderma begins as a streak or line of hardened, waxy skin.
Systemic scleroderma
Systemic scleroderma affects your connective tissue and more parts of your body. Systemic scleroderma can lead to the hardening of internal organs (sclerosis).
Systemic scleroderma is characterized as either limited or diffuse. Limited scleroderma, sometimes referred to as CREST syndrome, affects the face, hands and feet. Limited scleroderma develops slowly. Diffuse scleroderma develops faster and causes more skin thickening. If you have diffuse scleroderma, you are at higher risk for developing sclerosis.
To diagnose scleroderma, your doctor will conduct a physical exam. In addition to looking for hardening of your skin, your doctor will check for symptoms including:
Acid reflux
Chronic cough
Difficulty swallowing
Dry mouth
Fatigue
Joint pain or stiffness
Sensitivity to cold
Shortness of breath
Skin rashes
Skin ulcers
Swollen blood vessels
Tightness in your fingers
Unexplained weight loss
Your doctor also might order blood or imaging tests. In some cases, your doctor could take a skin sample.
Medications to treat scleroderma include:
Immunosuppressive drugs (to reduce the immune response)
Calcium channel blockers (to relax blood vessels)
Steroids (to reduce inflammation)
Physical therapy can also help improve your muscle strength and joint function.
Managing scleroderma requires a team approach. Our rheumatologists work with doctors across UW Health to treat the effects of severe scleroderma and other autoimmune diseases.
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