Fisher Gary J, Kang Sewon
Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 48109-0609, USA.
Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2002 Nov;14(6):723-6. doi: 10.1097/00002281-200211000-00016.
Scleroderma is a chronic disease of connective tissue characterized by deposition of large amounts of collagen. Localized scleroderma affects only the skin, whereas systemic disease, systemic sclerosis, may affect the lungs, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, and heart in addition to the skin. Although the various forms of localized scleroderma are not life threatening, they result in considerable morbidity owing to joint contracture, loss of flexibility, and disfigurement. Although many different treatments have been attempted, until now none has proven to be effective. Accumulating evidence indicates that UVA irradiation offers a genuine opportunity to ameliorate localized scleroderma and the cutaneous manifestations of systemic sclerosis.
硬皮病是一种结缔组织的慢性疾病，其特征是大量胶原蛋白沉积。局限性硬皮病仅累及皮肤，而系统性疾病，即系统性硬化症，除皮肤外还可能影响肺、胃肠道、肾脏和心脏。尽管各种形式的局限性硬皮病不会危及生命，但由于关节挛缩、灵活性丧失和毁容，它们会导致相当大的发病率。尽管已经尝试了许多不同的治疗方法，但到目前为止，没有一种方法被证明是有效的。越来越多的证据表明，紫外线A照射为改善局限性硬皮病和系统性硬化症的皮肤表现提供了一个真正的机会。
