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Localized Scleroderma of the Face

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Skin Manifestations in Rheumatic Disease

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Abstract

Localized scleroderma (LS), also known as morphea, is the most frequent form of scleroderma in childhood and is grouped into five subtypes: circumscribed morphea, linear scleroderma, generalized morphea, pansclerotic morphea, and a mixed subtype, where a combination of two or more of the previous subtypes is present. Linear scleroderma is the most frequent subtype in childhood, and when it involves the face (LSF), it may cause aesthetic and functional abnormalities, sometimes complicated by hemifacial atrophy.

An early diagnosis, an appropriate assessment, and an effective treatment may slow the disease progression and prevent ophthalmological and neurological complications.

Studies over the past few years have added interesting contributions on new outcome measures for the disease assessment and monitoring. Indeed, a recent randomized placebo-controlled trial has confirmed the important role of methotrexate for this particular subtype of scleroderma.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pediatric Rheumatology Unit, Department of Pediatrics- Rheumatology Section, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani 3, Padua, 35128, Italy

    Francesco Zulian M.D.

  2. Pediatric Rheumatology Unit, University of Padua, Padua, Italy

    Sabina Trainito

  3. Pediatric Dermatology – Internal Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliera – Università di Padova, Via C. Battisti, 206, Padova, 35128, Italy

    Anna Belloni-Fortina M.D.

Authors
  1. Francesco Zulian M.D.
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  2. Sabina Trainito
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  3. Anna Belloni-Fortina M.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Francesco Zulian M.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Rheumatology, University of Florence Department of Biomedicine, Florence, Italy

    Marco Matucci-Cerinic

  2. Division of Rheumatology, UCLA Medical Center Department of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA

    Daniel Furst

  3. Department of Dermatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Redwood City, California, USA

    David Fiorentino

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Zulian, F., Trainito, S., Belloni-Fortina, A. (2014). Localized Scleroderma of the Face. In: Matucci-Cerinic, M., Furst, D., Fiorentino, D. (eds) Skin Manifestations in Rheumatic Disease. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7849-2_22

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7849-2_22

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-7848-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-7849-2

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