Background: Cutaneous scleroderma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the dermal and subcutaneous connective tissue leading to sclerosis. Sclerosis of the skin can lead to dysmorphism, contractures and restrictions of movement. Objective: The purpose of the study was to evaluate sclerosis in cutaneous scleroderma patients and to determine the efficacy of water-filtered infrared A plus visible light treatment, wIRA(+VIS), in 10 patients. Methods: Hardness of the normal and diseased skin was measured by durometry in 10 controls and 8 patients. Moreover, circumscribed scleroderma (CS) was treated with wIRA(+VIS) irradiations in 10 patients who had not responded to conventional therapies. Results: wIRA(+VIS) therapy led to a marked improvement, persistent even during long-term follow-up, in 7 out of 10 patients with CS. Of the other patients, 1 showed decreased sclerosis and disease activity and developed a worsening after cessation of therapy. In 2 further patients, where previous UVA1 treatment had failed to reduce disease activity, wIRA(+VIS) produced a slight decrease in sclerosis, but disease activity was still present. Conclusion: wIRA(+VIS) appears to be effective in the treatment of CS. Durometry proved to be helpful in assessing the degree of sclerosis and in documenting the response to therapy in these patients.

Keywords:
Scleroderma, Water-filtered infrared A, Durometry, Morphea
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© 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel
2011
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