Scleredema

Disease Overview

Scleredema is a form of cutaneous mucinosis, a diverse group of rare skin conditions that are characterized by an accumulation of mucin (a jelly-like complex carbohydrate substance) in the skin. Signs and symptoms of this condition include hardening and thickening of the skin which may restrict movement. Skin in affected areas may be red or brown and often has an ‘orange-skin’ appearance. There are three forms of the condition which vary by disease course and long term outlook (prognosis). Although the underlying cause is currently unknown, each form is associated with a different condition: infection (type 1), blood abnormalities (type 2), and diabetes (type 3). In some cases, scleredema resolves spontaneously on its own, while in other affected people, the condition persists for long periods of time. Due to the rarity of the condition, there is no standard treatment.[13287][13288]

Synonyms

• Scleredema adultorum
• Scleredema adultorum of Buschke
• Scleredema diabeticorum
• Scleredema diabeticorum of Buschke
• Buschke's scleredema