Health Topic

Scleroderma

Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and thickening in the skin and other areas of the body. The exact cause of scleroderma is unknown.

Reviewed Reviewed by a registered pharmacistGeneral information

Also called: Circumscribed scleroderma · Dermatosclerosis · Morphea · Systemic sclerosis

Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.

About Scleroderma

Scleroderma means "hard skin." It's the name of an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and thickening in the skin and other areas of the body. This inflammation causes you to have areas of tight, hard skin. Scleroderma may affect just one area of your body, or it can affect many systems in your body.

There are two main types of scleroderma:

  • Localized scleroderma only affects your skin and the muscles and tissues just under your skin.
  • Systemic scleroderma, which is also called systemic sclerosis, is a more serious type. It affects many parts of your body and can damage your blood vessels and internal organs, such as your heart, lungs, and kidneys.

The exact cause of scleroderma is unknown. Researchers think that several factors may play a part in causing the disease:

  • Your genetics. Certain genes can increase the chance that you will develop scleroderma. They may also play a role in which the type of scleroderma you have. Scleroderma is not passed from parent to child, but you are more likely to develop it if a close relative has it.
  • Your environment. Exposure to certain things in the environment, such as viruses or chemicals, may trigger scleroderma.
  • Immune system changes. When your immune system changes, it can trigger your cells to make too much collagen in the body. Too much collagen causes patches of tight, hard skin.
  • Hormones. Hormonal or immune system differences between women and men might play a part in the disease.

Anyone can get scleroderma, but certain factors may make you more likely to develop it:

  • Your sex. Scleroderma is more common in women than in men.
  • Your age. The disease usually appears between the ages of 30 and 50.
  • Your race. Scleroderma can affect people of all races and ethnic groups, but the disease can affect African Americans more severely.

The symptoms of scleroderma are different for each person, depending on the type of scleroderma you have:

  • Localized scleroderma usually causes patches of thick, hard skin in one of two patterns: Patches in firm, oval shapes that stay in one area or spread to other areas of skin. This is called morphea.
  • Lines of thickened or different colored skin that run down your arm, leg, and, rarely, on the forehead. This is called linear scleroderma.
  • Thick, tight skin on your fingers
  • Fatigue
  • Raynaud's phenomenon, a narrowing of blood vessels in the hands or feet
  • Damage to your internal organs, including your digestive system, lungs, kidneys, and heart

There is no single test for scleroderma. The symptoms can vary from person to person and can be similar to those of other diseases. This can make scleroderma hard to diagnose.

To find out if you have scleroderma, your health care provider:

  • Will ask about your symptoms and medical history
  • Will do a physical exam
  • May order blood tests, including an ANA (antinuclear antibody) test
  • May do a skin biopsy
  • May do other tests, such as imaging tests, to check for organ damage

There is no cure for scleroderma, but treatments can help control your symptoms and limit damage. The treatments may include:

  • Medicines to help decrease swelling, manage pain, control other symptoms, and prevent complications.
  • Physical or occupational therapy to help with pain, improve muscle strength, and teach you ways to help with daily living.
  • Regular dental care, because scleroderma can make your mouth dry and damage connective tissues in your mouth. These problems can speed up tooth decay and cause your teeth to become loose.

You may need to see specialists to help treat your disease. Many people with scleroderma will see a rheumatologist. This is a doctor who specializes in rheumatic diseases such as arthritis and other inflammatory or autoimmune disorders. Dermatologists, who specialize in conditions of the skin, hair, and nails, may also play an important role in treating the disease. And if you have organ damage, you may need to see other specialists.

You can also help manage some of your symptoms, for example by:

  • Dressing warm and avoiding cold or wet environments
  • Quitting smoking (if you smoke)
  • Putting on sunscreen before you go outdoors
  • Using moisturizers on your skin to help lessen stiffness
  • Avoiding hot baths and showers, harsh soaps, and household cleaners
  • Getting regular physical activity

It sits within Skin, Hair and Nails and Immune System.

The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.

Research on Scleroderma

799 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.

What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.

Research currently under way

Research already completed

Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.

Where to read more

Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.

Start Here

Diagnosis and Tests

Treatments and Therapies

Related Issues

Genetics

Statistics and Research

Clinical Trials

Medical subject headings

Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Scleroderma, Systemic, Scleroderma, Localized. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.

This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Scleroderma, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.