What The Heck?! Part II
This is just a brief overview of the disease. If you would like more information please go to :
scleroderma.org
Scleroderma, or systemic sclerosis, is a chronic connective tissue disease generally classified as one of the autoimmune rheumatic diseases.
Scleroderma is not contagious, it is not infectious, it is not cancerous or malignant.
The diagnostic process may require consultation with rheumatologists (arthritis specialists), and/or dermatologists (skin specialists) and require blood studies and numerous other specialized tests depending upon which organs are affected.
There are an estimated 300,000 people in the United States who have scleroderma, about one third of whom have the systemic form of scleroderma. Since scleroderma presents with symptoms similar to other autoimmune diseases, diagnosis is difficult and there may be many misdiagnosed or undiagnosed cases as well.
At the present time, there is no cure for scleroderma, but there are many treatments available.