The first parts of the body to be affected are usually the fingers, hands, feet and face. In some people, the skin thickening can also involve the forearms, upper arms, chest, abdomen, lower legs and thighs. Early symptoms may include swelling and itchiness.
Herein, at what age is scleroderma usually diagnosed?
Age: Most localized types of scleroderma show up before age 40, and systemic types of scleroderma are typically diagnosed between ages 30 and 50.
Likewise, how do they diagnose scleroderma?
To diagnose scleroderma, a doctor usually begins by asking you about your symptoms, health, and medical history. The doctor will also examine your skin for signs of hardening and thickening. If you have hard, thickened skin, a dermatologist may perform a skin biopsy to help diagnose you.
Is scleroderma a death sentence?
Scleroderma is “not automatically a death sentence,” says Dr. Chatterjee. A milder form of the disease does not necessarily shorten one’s normal life span. Even if you have a more severe form involving major organs, treatments can manage most symptoms.
What are the stages of scleroderma?
Cutaneous involvement has 3 phases: (1) edematous, (2) indurative, and (3) atrophic. Skin becomes thickened and tight.
What can mimic scleroderma?
However, similar features of hard and thick skin can be seen in other conditions which are often referred to as “scleroderma mimics”. These mimics include eosinophilic fasciitis, nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, scleromyxedema, and scleredema among others.
What do scleroderma lesions look like?
In plaque-type morphoea, the most common type of localized scleroderma, the skin lesions are typically oval or round. In the active phase of the disease, a lilac-coloured border (lilac ring) may surround the indurated region. As they evolve, the plaques become hyperpigmented (Fig.
What does a scleroderma flare feel like?
Common symptoms of scleroderma may include painful joints (arthralgia), morning stiffness, fatigue, and/or weight loss. The intermittent loss (triggered by cold temperatures) of blood supply to the fingers, toes, nose, and/or ears (Raynaud’s phenomenon) is an early and frequent complaint of people with scleroderma.
What does sclerosis look like?
It is very common to experience hardening and tightening of patches of your skin with SS. The patches may be oval-shaped or a straight line that can cover large areas of your skin. Your skin may also appear shiny since it’s so tight with your movement restricted.
What does thickening of skin look like?
When you continually scratch an area of skin or it is rubbed for a prolonged period of time, your skin cells begin to grow. This leads to a thickening of the skin and an exaggeration of normal skin markings — such as cracks, wrinkles, or scales — that gives your skin a leathery or bark-like appearance.
What foods should be avoided with scleroderma?
REFLUX/HEARTBURN: eat small frequent meals to avoid overfilling your stomach; avoid eating within 2-3 hours of bedtime; avoid foods that may aggravate symptoms such as citrus fruits, tomato products, greasy fried foods, coffee, garlic, onions, peppermint, gas-producing foods (such as raw peppers, beans, broccoli, raw …
What happens if scleroderma is left untreated?
Scleroderma causes a restrictive ventilatory defect (small lungs) secondary to an inflammatory process in the lung alveoli (air sacs). This process, left untreated, leads to fibrosis of the lung tissue (a fibrosing alveolitis) that interferes with normal gas exchange from the air to the blood.
What is the life expectancy of a person with scleroderma?
People who have localized scleroderma may live an uninterrupted life with only minor symptom experiences and management. On the other hand, those diagnosed with an advanced and systemic version of the disease have a prognosis of anywhere from three to 15 years.
What were your first symptoms of scleroderma?
Symptoms of scleroderma may include:
- Thickening and swelling of the fingers.
- Pale fingers that may become numb and tingle when exposed to cold or stress, known as Raynaud’s phenomenon.
- Joint pain.
- Taut, shiny, darker skin on large areas, which can cause problems with movement.