Skin involvement

Skin involvement is common in systemic sclerosis. Systemic sclerosis is a connective tissue disease characterized clinically by localized or diffuse skin thickening and fibrosis of unknown cause. In addition to skin involvement, it can also affect the internal organs (organs such as the heart, lungs, and digestive tract). This disease is more common in women, with an incidence rate of about four times that of men, and children are relatively rare. The severity and development of the disease varies widely, from diffuse skin thickening (diffusive scleroderma) with rapidly developing and often fatal visceral damage to only a small proportion of skin involvement (usually limited to fingers only) And face). The latter progresses slowly, and can last for decades before typical visceral lesions are fully exposed, known as localized scleroderma or CREST (C, calcinosis; R, raynaud's phenomenon; E, esophageal dysmotility; S, sclerodactyly; T, telangiectasia) syndrome (calcification, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal dysfunction, finger sclerosis, and capillary dilatation). In addition, there are overlap syndromes (such as scleroderma and dermatomyositis overlap) and undifferentiated connective tissue disease.