Morphea (Scleroderma)

Ellie MorlinoPeriod 6/9 Honors Anatomy

Morphea:• a rare tissue disorder (affecting 3 people per

10,000,000) that affects the skin and occasionally blood vessels, underlying muscles, and joints

• Causes thickening of the dermis and subcutaneous tissue

• Only 75,000 to 100,000 people in the US have Morphea

• more than 75 percent of people with scleroderma are women.

Causes of Morphea• Morphea happens when the immune system causes

inflammation in the skin. This inflammation triggers connective tissue cells to produce too much collagen, a fibrous protein that is a major part of many tissues.

• exact cause of this excess of collagen is unknown, but research shows that there is a susceptibility gene which raises the likelihood of getting scleroderma, but does not cause the disease by itself.

• It has been speculated to be a combination of many complicated factors and researchers are still trying to figure out the specifics.

Mortality• Morphea has a benign course

and is never fatal; it has the same survival rate as the general population.

• severeness of morphea varies depending on how deep the tissue hardens.

• In severe cases, it can affect a person's outward appearance because hardening of the tissues interferes with growth

Symptoms• Raynauds Syndrome (color

changes that occur in fingers and toes from lack of blood flow).

• appearance of dry and hardened skin

• affected areas harden even further, and develop pink and purple tints

• can affect a person's outward appearance because hardening of the tissues interferes with growth (especially in children who are still developing)

Diagnosis Treatment

• diagnostic process may require consultation with rheumatologists dermatologists,

• sometimes may need blood studies and other tests depending on if any organs are affected.

• UVA1 phototherapy• Corticosteroids

(Which is a medication that reduces inflammation and prevents thickening of collagen)

• skin Apligraf • Physical therapy

When looking at tissue affected by Morphea, the bundles of collagen are much thicker and denser than usual, and the spaces between the bundles is smaller.

Sources• http://www.cleaverderm.com/morphea.html • http://

emedicine.medscape.com/article/1065782-overview#a0199

• http://www.scleroderma.org/site/PageNavigator/patients_whatis.html#.VCrJLvm-2m4