How many people died from Scleroderma?

Keene on Sat, 31st Jul 2010 5:34 pm 



Hi..
I understand your concern but you can not just come up with the diagnosis
you need to visit your Doc & let him examine you & then you need to do a screening test which if positive then there is a specific bl test to Diagnose scleroderma

Scleroderma is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by fibrosis (or hardening), vascular alterations, and autoantibodies.

A.There are two major forms:
1.Limited cutaneous scleroderma (or morphea) mainly affects the hands, arms and face, although pulmonary hypertension is frequent.
2. Diffuse cutaneous scleroderma (or systemic sclerosis) is rapidly progressing and affects a large area of the skin and one or more internal organs, frequently the kidneys, esophagus, heart and lungs, and can be fatal.
There are no treatments for scleroderma itself, but individual organ system complications are treated.

B.Prognosis is good for limited cutaneous scleroderma, except for <10% of those who develop pulmonary arterial hypertension ≥10 to 20 years. 5-year survival is 90%, 10-year survival 75%. Prognosis is worse for diffuse cutaneous disease, particularly in older age, and for males. Death occurs most often from pulmonary, heart and kidney complications. 5-year survival is 70%, 10-year survival 55%.

The cause is unknown. Scleroderma runs in families, but the genes have not been identified. It affects the small blood vessels known as arterioles, in all organs. First, the cells on the inner lining, or endothelium, of the arteriole die off, along with smooth muscle cells, by a process of apoptosis. They are replaced by collagen and other fibrous material. Inflammatory cells, particularly CD4+ helper T cells, infiltrate the arteriole, and cause further damage. Many of the inflammatory and destructive protein signals have been identified, and they are potential targets for drugs that could interrupt the process

Take Care

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