How I explore ... the skin functional involvement in scleroderma

Abstract

peer reviewedScleroderma refers to distinct clinical presentations sharing in common a sclerotic process most often clinically obvious on the skin. The involvement possibly affects the skin alone in morphea or in combination with internal lesions in systemic sclerosis. Some objective and non-invasive functional assessments are useful for better appreciating the severity and evolution of the disease, as well as to monitor the therapeutic efficacy. In this endeavour, in vivo measurements of the skin mechanical properties are unsurprisingly informative