Scleroderma

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a disfiguring, disabling and potentially fatal rare disease that causes scarring of the skin (scleroderma), lungs (SSc-ILD) and other organs. Worldwide it is estimated that over two million people have systemic sclerosis and it affects mostly women in the prime of their lives, between 25 and 55 years of age. Systemic sclerosis is a complex rare disease with a variable course. It presents with a range of symptoms involving several different organs; this means it is difficult to recognize and this can delay early and accurate diagnosis.