Here is a very well written site to explore.  It has URLs
for other sites you may want to visit.  (I have removed
most of the information to reduce the size of this reply.)

http://www.rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/scler_new.asp

Scleroderma, also known as systemic sclerosis, is a chronic disease that causes skin thickening and tightening, and can involve fibrosis and other types of damage to internal body organs. This condition, thought to be an autoimmune disease, affects both adults and children, most commonly adult women. While effective treatments are available for some manifestations of the disease, scleroderma is not yet curable.

Fast Facts
What scleroderma is
There are actually several types of scleroderma and related diseases with complications ranging from minor to life-threatening.

What causes scleroderma

Who gets scleroderma
Scleroderma is a relatively rare illness affecting only 75,000 - 100,000 people in the United States.  Of these, 75% percent are women (20 - 50 years old)

How scleroderma is diagnosed
How scleroderma is treated
Broader heatlh impact of scleroderma
Points to Remember

For more information
The American College of Rheumatology has compiled this list to give you a starting point for your own additional research.

The Scleroderma Foundation
www.scleroderma.org

International Scleroderma Network
www.sclero.org

Scleroderma Clinical Trials Consortium
www.sctc-online.org

Scleroderma Research Foundation
www.sclerodermaresearch.org

The Arthritis Foundation
www.arthritis.org

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Information Clearinghouse
www.niams.nih.gov

Written by Joseph H. Korn, MD and Peter A. Merkel, MD, MPH, and reviewed by the American College of Rheumatology.

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