Scleroderma - Symptoms and It's Treatment

Definition

Scleroderma means hard skin. It's an uncommon disorder of diffuse connective tissue disease and that may be occur by inflammatory and then degenerative and fibrotic changes in the skin, blood vessels, synovial membranes, skeletal muscles, and internal organs. It has two types such as localized and systemic and each type has many subtypes. If you have Localized scleroderma, then it usually affects only the skin. It has three main subtypes such as morphea, generalized morphea, and linear. If you have Systemic scleroderma, then it affects multiple systems such as blood vessels, internal organs, muscles, joints, and the intestines. It's has two subtypes such as systemic limited scleroderma also known as CREST and systemic-diffuse. There's also a type known as sclerodenna sine sclerosis, which affects the internal organs.

Causes of Scleroderma

The cause of sclerodenna is unknown, but some possible causes include:

• Systemic exposure to silica dust or polyvinyl chloride
• Anticancer agents, such as bleomycin, or nonopioid analgesics such as pentazocine
• Fibrosis due to an abnormal immune system response
• Underlying vascular cause with tissue changes initiated by a persistent perfusion. For example, in some patients, muscles and joints become fibrotic.

Symptoms of Scleroderma

Scleroderma may be occur due to diffuse fibrosis, degenerative changes, and vascular changes in the skin, particular structures, and internal organs. It usually begins in the fingers and extends proximally to the upper arms, shoulders, neck, and face. Possible symptoms of scleroderma include:

• Patchy skin changes with a teardrop shape known as morphea localized scleroderma
• Sclerodactyly such as taut, shiny skin over the entire hand and forearm due to skin thickening
• Painful ulcers
• Frequent reflux, heartburn, dysphagia, and bloating after meals due to GI dysfunction
• Abdominal distention, diarrhea, constipation, and malodorous floating stool.

Complications of scleroderma include:

• Compromised circulation due to abnormal thickening of the arterial intima
• Possibly causing slowly healing ulcerations on fingertips or toes leading to gangrene
• Decreased food intake and weight loss due to GI symptoms; and arrhythmias and dyspnea due to cardiac and pulmonary fibrosis and renal crisis, which may be fatal if untreated

Treatment of Scleroderma

If you have this disease, then you should be use Possible treatment such as:

• Treatment aims to treat normal body functions, minimize complications and may include immunosuppressants, including such common palliative drugs as cyclosporine (Neoral) and chlorambucil (Leukeran).
• Another treatment for this disease such as vasodilators and antihypertensives, such as nifedipine, prazosin, or topical nitroglycerin Nitro-Bid; digital sympathectomy; or, rarely, cervical sympathetic blockade to treat Raynaud's phenomenon, digital plaster cast to immobilize the area, minimize trauma, and maintain cleanliness; possible surgical debridement for chronic digital ulceration.
• You can also use antacids to reduce total add level in GI tract; omeprazole, a proton-pump inhibitor to block the formation of gastric add, periodic dilation, and a soft, bland diet for esophagitis with stricture.