Autoimmune thyropathy and'localized, scleroderma

摘要

Localized (circumscribed) scleroderma or morphea is an enigmatic inflammatory skin disease of unknown cause in which putative autoimmune process triggers excessive fibroplasia that remains focally or regionally restricted. This self-limitation of expression is one of the prominent features distinguishing it from its severe counterpart, progressive systemic sclerosis (Hawk and English, 2001).Typical skin lesion consists of red-violet inflammatory infiltrate spreading-out centrifugally into healthy skin and leaving behind a whitish center of fibrosis. Resulting scleroatrophy usually presents only cosmetic problem with minor discomfort, however, skin fibrosis can occasionally be profound and extensive enough to impose serious functional impairement. Localized scleroderma is reputed for polymorphism of clinical expression ranging from plaque to linear, deep, bullous and generalized phenotypes (Marzano et al, 2003).