Scleroderma: symptoms, complications and treatment

Scleroderma is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes excessive collagen production, leading to hardening of the skin and affecting the joints, muscles, blood vessels and some internal organs, such as the lungs and heart.

This disease mainly affects women over 30, but it can also occur in men and children, and is divided into two types, localized and systemic scleroderma, according to its intensity. Scleroderma has no cure and its treatment is done to relieve symptoms and slow the progression of the disease.

Localized Scleroderma

Localized scleroderma, formerly called CREST Syndrome, is characterized by reddish patches that appear on the skin and that may harden over time, or disappear.

This type of disease mainly affects the hands and face, and the changes usually only affect the skin and muscles, being rare to spread throughout the body and affect the internal organs.

Systemic scleroderma

Systemic scleroderma is characterized by affecting the skin, muscles, blood vessels and internal organs, such as the heart, lungs, kidneys and intestines.

The symptoms of scleroderma depend on the affected regions, but they usually start with thickening and swelling of the fingertips.

Scleroderma symptoms

The main symptoms of scleroderma are:

Thickening and stiffness of the skin; Constant swelling of the fingers and hands; Darkening of the fingers in cold places or during episodes of excessive stress; Constant itching in the affected region; Hair loss; Very dark and very light patches on the skin.

The first manifestations of the disease start on the hands and after months or years pass to the face, leaving the skin hardened, without elasticity and without wrinkles, which also makes it difficult to open the mouth completely.

Complications of scleroderma

The main complications of scleroderma are:

Difficulty moving fingers; Difficulty swallowing; Difficulty breathing; Anemia; Hypertension; Liver inflammation; Arthritis; Heart problems, such as inflammation and infarction; Kidney failure.

These complications appear after years of development of the disease, and occur mainly in the systemic form of the disease.

Diagnosis of scleroderma

The diagnosis of scleroderma is made based on the symptoms and clinical manifestations of the skin, but in some cases it can be difficult to correctly identify this disease, as it progresses slowly and its first symptoms are similar to other skin problems.

The doctor may also order a biopsy of the affected region and perform tests such as tomography and MRI to assess whether internal organs have also been affected.

Treatment of scleroderma

Scleroderma has no cure and its treatment is done to reduce the patient's symptoms according to the affected organs and body regions, which may include:

Remedies to control high blood pressure, such as Atenolol or Nifedipine; Anti-inflammatory remedies, such as Ketoprofen or Ibuprofen; Remedies to weaken the immune system, such as D-penicillamine or Interferon-alpha, to try to prevent the progression of the disease; Corticoid remedies, such as Cortisone or Betamethasone, to reduce pain and inflammation; Medicines to improve the functioning of the heart, such as Digoxin; Physiotherapy to improve breathing and increase joint flexibility.

The treatment for scleroderma must be adapted by the doctor according to the individual, since there is no cure for scleroderma.