Scleroderma natural history, complications and prognosis

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Complications

Diffuse scleroderma can cause musculoskeletal, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, renal and other complications. Patients with larger amounts of cutaneous involvement are more likely to have involvement of the internal tissues and organs.

The most common cause of death in people with scleroderma is scarring of the lungs, called pulmonary fibrosis.

Other complications of scleroderma include:

• Cancer
• Heart failure
• High blood pressure in the lungs (pulmonary hypertension)
• Kidney failure
• Problems absorbing nutrients from food (malabsorption)

Prognosis

Some people with scleroderma have symptoms that develop quickly over the first few years and continue to get worse. However, in most patients, the disease slowly gets worse. People who only have skin symptoms have a better outlook. Widespread (systemic) scleroderma can damage the heart, kidney, lungs, or GI tract, which may cause death. Lung problems are the most common cause of death in patients with scleroderma.