Localized scleroderma only affects the skin and the structures directly under the skin. Systemic scleroderma, also called systemic sclerosis, affects many systems in the body. This is the more serious type of scleroderma and can damage your blood vessels and internal organs, such as the heart, lungs, and kidneys.

Treatment of Scleroderma. Your treatment depends on the type of scleroderma you have, your symptoms, and which tissues and organs are affected. Treatment can help control the symptoms and limit damage. Your doctor may recommend medications, including: Anti-inflammatory medications to manage pain and reduce swelling.

What is scleroderma? Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and thickening in the skin and other areas of the body. This inflammation leads to areas of tight, hard skin. There are two major types of scleroderma: Localized scleroderma only affects the skin and the structures directly under the skin.

Living with scleroderma. Living with the disease may be hard. To help, try to take an active part in treating your scleroderma. The following tips and suggestions may help. Keep warm. Dress in layers, wear gloves and socks, and avoid cold rooms and weather when possible. Try to avoid cold or wet environments that may trigger symptoms. If you ...

Understanding why scleroderma can affect African Americans more severely. Evaluating how immunosuppressant and other medications can be used to help manage the symptoms and complications of scleroderma, particularly pulmonary complications. Exploring the many factors that lead to fibrosis to see if their development can be blocked.

La esclerodermia es una enfermedad que causa parches de piel dura y gruesa, pero también puede dañar los vasos sanguíneos y otros órganos. Conozca los factores de riesgos y las causas de esta enfermedad de la piel.

Scleroderma (systemic sclerosis) is a chronic, multi-system, autoimmune disease characterized by progressive fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. There is a health disparity in African Americans, who have an increased prevalence of scleroderma compared to European Americans.

This program supports basic, translational, observational, and clinical studies on scleroderma, fibrosis, and autoinflammatory diseases. Scleroderma is an autoimmune rheumatic disease without an available curative therapy. It is a heterogenous and complex disease that can be categorized as localized scleroderma (morphea) and systemic scleroderma.

People with limited cutaneous scleroderma often have all or some of the symptoms that some doctors call CREST, which stands for the following symptoms: Calcinosis (KAL-sin-OH-sis), which is the formation of calcium deposits in the connective tissues, which can be detected by x-ray.

Studies continue to find the genes that predispose a person to getting scleroderma. Those genes may be targets for future therapies. Researchers are also trying to find genes (and other indicators) that could tell doctors who will develop what type of scleroderma. This could someday help doctors identify who might benefit from specific therapies.