The strained skin and the emotionless features
(relieved only by telangiectatic striae) give the countenance a
ghastly, corpse-like aspect. The etiology and pathology of this
disease are quite obscure. Happily the prognosis is good, as
there is a tendency to spontaneous recovery, although the
convalescence may be extended.
Although regarded by many as a disease distinct from scleroderma,
morphea is best described as a circumscribed scleroderma, and
presents itself in two clinical aspects: patches and bands, the
patches being the more common.
Scleroderma neonatorum is an induration of the skin, congenital
and occurring soon after birth, and is invariably fatal. A
disease somewhat analogous is edema neonatorum, which is a
subcutaneous edema with induration affecting the new-born. If
complete it is invariably fatal, but in a few cases in which the
process has been incomplete recovery has occurred. Gerard reports
recovery from a case of sclerema neonatorum in an infant five
weeks old, which seemed in perfect health but for this
skin-affection. The back presented a remarkable induration which
involved the entire dorsal aspect, including the deltoid regions,
the upper arms, the buttocks, and the thighs, down to and
involving the popliteal spaces.
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