Symptoms

Symptoms of Scleroderma (Dermatological)

Localized scleroderma of the skin can produce a variety of symptoms that vary from person to person. The most common symptoms include:

• Thickening and swelling of the tips of the fingers
• Taut, dark, shiny skin on large areas, including the face, that interfere with movement
• Spider veins
• Calcium bumps on the fingers or other bony areas
• Sores on knuckles and fingertips
• Immobile (frozen) fingers, wrists, or elbows due to skin scarring

Additional symptoms found with systemic scleroderma include:

• Raynaud phenomenon, in which fingers become pale, tingly and numb when cold or during times of emotional upset
• Joint pain
• Grating noise during movement of inflamed tissues
• Scarring of the esophagus, leading swallowing difficulty and heartburn
• Scarring of the lungs, causing shortness of breath
• Abnormal heart rhythms
• Heart failure
• Kidney disease