How long can you live with diffuse scleroderma?
Patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis have a 10-year survival estimate of approximately 75%. However, development of ILD, PAH, or renal crisis dramatically increases the risk of death.
How common is diffuse scleroderma?
Approximately one in 10,000 individuals is affected. It is more common in women and most often develops around age 30 to 50. Systemic scleroderma can affect almost any organ in the body, and there is a large variability of symptoms among affected individuals.
How fast does diffuse scleroderma progress?
Skin changes can cause the skin to swell, appear shiny, and feel tight and itchy. The damage of diffuse scleroderma typically occurs over a few years. After the first 3 to 5 years, people with diffuse disease often enter a stable phase lasting for varying lengths of time.
Can diffuse scleroderma go into remission?
Scleroderma varies from person to person Some people can have mild symptoms and no involvement other than the skin, while others can have serious health issues as a result. For most people, symptoms flare up and then go into remission for a period of time before flaring up again.
Can you live a full life with diffuse scleroderma?
Many people have a good scleroderma prognosis – they do not die of the disease and live a full and productive life. However, some people do die from scleroderma, for example those with severe lung, heart or kidney involvement.
Can you have mild scleroderma?
The hallmarks of localized scleroderma are inflammation and thickening of the skin due to excessive levels of a structural protein called collagen. Localized scleroderma is relatively mild, and commonly affects only a few areas of the body — usually the skin or muscles. Internal organs are typically not affected.
Can you live a long life with diffuse scleroderma?
In general, patients with limited scleroderma have a normal life expectancy. Some have problems with their GI tract, especially heartburn; severe Raynaud’s and musculoskeletal pain; and a small subset can develop pulmonary hypertension that can be life-threatening.