Scleroderma - Prognosis

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Ruling out Other Conditions

Other Autoimmune and Connective Tissue Disorders. Several other autoimmune conditions that affect connective tissue can strongly resemble, or occur together with, scleroderma. They include the following:

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Polymyositis

Symptoms of such diseases may also include fever, arthritis, muscle aches, rash, and lung and heart problems.

Eosinophilic Fasciitis. Eosinophilic fasciitis is a muscle disorder that is known to occur after intense hard work. It can cause symptoms similar to scleroderma, including pain, swelling, and tenderness in the hands and feet, as well as skin thickening. The disorder can be ruled out with blood tests.

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Although Raynaud's phenomenon occurs in most scleroderma patients, most of the time Raynaud's phenomenon by itself is not associated with more serious conditions. Following are other problems that might accompany or cause Raynaud's phenomenon:

• Other autoimmune connective tissue diseases
• Diabetes (patients with diabetes may develop Raynaud's phenomenon and other scleroderma-like symptoms)
• Certain drugs, including bleomycin, ergot derivatives (used for migraines), and methysergide
• Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (a very rare condition that may have skin changes similar to CREST syndrome)

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• Repetitive stress injuries (particularly from vibrating tools)
• Hypothyroidism

Review Date: 01/04/2011
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).