Symptoms of Linear Scleroderma
As suggested by its name, the linear type of
scleroderma has symptoms that include a single line or band of thickened and/or abnormally colored skin. Usually, the line runs down an arm or leg, but in some people, it runs down the forehead.
Systemic Scleroderma Symptoms
Systemic scleroderma (systemic sclerosis) is the term for scleroderma symptoms that include the skin and the tissues beneath skin that lead to the blood vessels and major organs.
CREST
People with systemic sclerosis often have all or some of the symptoms that doctors call
CREST. CREST stands for the following:
- Calcinosis. The formation of calcium deposits in the connective tissues, which can be detected by an x-ray. They are typically found on the fingers, hands, face, and trunk and on the skin above the elbows and knees. When the deposits break through the skin, painful ulcers can result.
- Raynaud's phenomenon. A condition in which the small blood vessels of the hands and/or feet contract in response to cold or anxiety. As the vessels contract, the hands or feet turn white and cold, then blue. As blood flow returns, they become red. Fingertip tissues may suffer damage, leading to ulcers, scars, or gangrene.
- Esophageal dysfunction. Impaired function of the esophagus (the tube connecting the throat and the stomach) that occurs when the smooth muscles in the esophagus lose normal movement. In the upper esophagus, the result can be swallowing difficulties; in the lower esophagus, the problem can cause chronic heartburn or inflammation.
- Sclerodactyly. Thick and tight skin on the fingers, resulting from deposits of excess collagen within skin layers. This condition makes it harder to bend or straighten the fingers and may also cause the skin to appear shiny and darkened, with hair loss.
- Telangiectasias. Small red spots on the hands and face that are caused by the swelling of tiny blood vessels. While these red spots are not painful, they can create cosmetic problems.
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