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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staff
While some varieties of scleroderma occur rapidly, signs and symptoms of limited scleroderma usually develop gradually. They include:
- Tight, hardened skin. In limited scleroderma, skin changes typically affect only the lower arms and legs, including fingers and toes, and sometimes the face and throat. Skin can look shiny from being pulled taut over underlying bone. It may become difficult to bend your fingers or to open your mouth.
- Raynaud's phenomenon. This condition occurs when small blood vessels in your fingers and toes go into spasms in response to cold or emotional stress, blocking the flow of blood. In most people, the skin turns white before becoming blue, cold and numb. When circulation improves, the skin usually reddens and may throb or tingle. Raynaud's phenomenon is often one of the earliest signs of limited scleroderma, but many people have only Raynaud's and never develop scleroderma.
- Red spots or lines on skin. These small red spots or lines (telangiectasias) are caused by the swelling of tiny blood vessels near the skin's surface. They are not painful and occur primarily on the hands and face.
- Bumps under the skin. Limited scleroderma may cause tiny calcium deposits (calcinosis) to develop under your skin, mainly on your elbows, knees and fingers. You can see and feel these deposits, which sometimes may be tender or become infected.
- Swallowing difficulties. People with limited scleroderma commonly experience problems with their esophagus — the tube that connects the mouth and stomach. Poor functioning of the muscles in the upper and lower esophagus can make swallowing difficult and allow stomach acids to back up into the esophagus, leading to heartburn, inflammation and scarring of esophageal tissues.
References
- Habif TP. Scleroderma. In: Habif TP. Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy. 5th ed. Edinburgh, U.K.; New York, N.Y.: Mosby Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?sid=1149581384&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00026-2--s0540&isbn=978-0-7234-3541-9&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00026-2--s0605&uniqId=239740754-5. Accessed April 23, 2011.
- Ferri FF. Scleroderma (progressive systemic sclerosis). In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2011: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00028-7--sc29005&isbn=978-0-323-05610-6&sid=1149581384&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00028-7--s29225&uniqId=239740754-5#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00028-7--s29225. Accessed April 23, 2011.
- Systemic sclerosis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/sec04/ch032/ch032h.html. Accessed April 23, 2011.
- Steen VD. The many faces of scleroderma. Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North America. 2008;34:1.
- Autoimmune connective tissue disease. In: Bope ET, et al. Conn's Current Therapy. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-0986-5..00007-7--sc0040&isbn=978-1-4377-0986-5&sid=1149586698&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-0986-5..00007-7--s0715&uniqId=239740754-7#4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-0986-5..00007-7--s0715. Accessed April 23, 2011.
- Handout on health: Scleroderma. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Scleroderma/default.asp. Accessed April 23, 2011.
- Agarwal SK, et al. Genetics and genomic studies in scleroderma (systemic sclerosis). Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North America. 2008;34:17.
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