Diffuse eosinophilic fasciitis. A new syndrome or variant of Scleroderma?

Recently, attention has been drawn to a scleroderma-like illness, characterized by transient eosinophilia, which is commonly antedated by unusual physical exertion, is apparently free from significant systemic changes, and in which the primary pathological alterations, consisting of intense inflammation and thickening with or without eosinophils, occur initially in the fascia, not the skin. These patients are said to respond well to oral corticosteroids and an occasional one may undergo spontaneous resolution. Clinicopathologic study of a patient with this syndrome, suggests an even deeper tissue genesis than that recently proposed for some of the cutaneoindurative disorders. Eosinophilic fasciitis probably represents an impressive, but perhaps relatively benign variant of diffuse scleroderma, according to reported cases.