Information for Patients
Scleroderma, or systemic sclerosis, is a chronic connective tissue disease generally classified as one of the autoimmune rheumatic diseases. The word “scleroderma” comes from two Greek words: “sclero” meaning hard, and “derma” meaning skin. Hardening of the skin is one of the most visible manifestations of the disease. The disease has been called “progressive systemic sclerosis,” but the use of that term has been discouraged since it has been found that scleroderma is not necessarily progressive. The disease varies from patient-to-patient. Some facts about scleroderma are:
- It is estimated that about 300,000 Americans have scleroderma.
- Female patients outnumber male patients about four to one.
- The onset of the disease is most frequent in people between the ages of 25 to 55.
- Scleroderma is not contagious, infectious, cancerous or malignant.
Patient Resources
Living Well with Scleroderma
Patient Voices 10: Caregiving Ecosystem Stories of Advocacy from Patients and their Allies
ATS Patient Information Series
The ATS Patient Information Series is a public service of the American Thoracic Society and its journal the AJRCCM (www.atsjournals.org). The information appearing in this series is for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for the medical advice of one's personal health care provider.
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