Definition:

Systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) is an autoimmune disease that is characterized by fibrosis of the skin and major internal organs. The core symptoms of this disease are Raynaud's phenomenon, skin thickening, Nail-fold capillary, and serum autoantibody production. Systemic sclerosis can manifest as either the diffuse or the limited variant, distinguished by the degree and the extent of cutaneous sclerosis. A highly variable clinical course exists that spans from mild and subtle findings to aggressive life-threatening multisystem disease. Anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) are present in more than 90% of patients, and these ANA react against various intracellular components. However, one patient rarely has two or more types of ANA. The particular ANA types are often indicative of clinical features, disease course and overall severity. At present, there is no treatment that has been proven to modify the overall disease course, but therapy that targets specific organ involvement early before irreversible damage occurs does improve both quality of life and survival. Although the precise pathogenesis of this disease remains unknown, the consensus is that it is triggered in genetically-susceptible individuals by exposure to specific environmental agents.