How does scleroderma affect the hands?
Scleroderma complications range from mild to severe and can affect the: Fingertips. In systemic sclerosis, Raynaud’s phenomenon can become so severe that the restricted blood flow permanently damages the tissue at the fingertips, causing pits or skin sores. In some cases, the tissue on the fingertips may die.
What does sclerodactyly look like?
The most classic symptom of scleroderma is a type of skin tightening called sclerodactyly. The initial stages of the disease involves swelling of the fingers. Later, as the connective tissue becomes fibrotic, skin on the fingers and toes becomes hard and shiny.
What do scleroderma hands feel like?
The skin becomes itchy, then red, swollen and tender to touch. A chilblain occurs from poor blood circulation on exposure to cold. They usually appear on extremities like fingers and toes, where they can cause problems with getting out and about.
What does scleroderma do to a person?
Scleroderma is a long-lasting disease that affects your skin, connective tissue, and internal organs. It happens when your immune system causes your body to make too much of the protein collagen, an important part of your skin. As a result, your skin gets thick and tight, and scars can form on your lungs and kidneys.
What do scleroderma lesions look like?
In linear localized scleroderma, the sclerotic lesions appear as one or more discrete linear streaks and induration that can involve the dermis and subcutaneous tissue, as well as occasionally muscle and bone.
What causes fingers to bend towards palm?
Dupuytren’s contracture (also called Dupuytren’s disease) is an abnormal thickening of the skin in the palm of your hand at the base of your fingers. This thickened area may develop into a hard lump or thick band. Over time, it can cause one or more fingers to curl (contract), or pull sideways or in toward your palm.
What is Viking hand disease?
Dupuytren’s contracture (also called Dupuytren’s disease, Morbus Dupuytren, Viking disease, palmar fibromatosis and Celtic hand) is a condition in which one or more fingers become permanently bent in a flexed position.
Why does my hand look like a claw?
Claw hand deformity is a condition where your fingers are bent into a position that looks like a claw. It may affect all of your fingers or only some of them. The cause is usually related to damage to a major nerve that starts at the neck and controls the muscles in your hand and arm.
What is the scleroderma skin pinch test?
“In using a skin scoring system, the physician pinches various parts of the patient’s body to test for thickness. The less skin that can be pinched equals a higher score in diagnosing scleroderma,” says Feghali-Bostwick.
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.