Autoimmune Diseases

Autoimmune Disease Directory

Overview

Scleroderma is a rare autoimmune disease that often affects the skin. It is also a form of arthritis and a connective tissue disease.

There are over: 80 autoimmune diseases, 100 types of arthritis, 200 connective tissue disorders, and 3,000 skin diseases. Many of these conditions have similar symptoms or blood work, and they often occur together.

Scleroderma is just one of the Great Imitators, which are diseases that eerily mimic others. Some of the great imitators include extrapulmonary tuberculosis, HIV, lupus, lyme disease, multiple sclerosis, and syphillis.

This can make diagnosis of the more complex autoimmune diseases very challenging. We cover the following illnesses because they may be part of the differential diagnosis of scleroderma, or may sometimes occur along with it. (Also see: What is Scleroderma? and Similar Skin Diseases)

Endometriosis

Non-bladder Centric Interstitial cystitis (IC)/bladder Pain Syndrome (BPS) Phenotype Is Significantly Associated With Co-Occurring Endometriosis. This study characterizes features of a target IC/BPS phenotype that could potentially benefit from endometriosis and systemic pain syndrome screening. PubMed, Can J Urol, 2020 Jun;27(3):10257-10262. (Also see Interstitial Cystitis)

Endometriosis Patient Stories

Dawn M: Linear/Systemic Scleroderma My family and I were informed by the doctors, that the localized/linear form of scleroderma that I was diagnosed with, would never progress into the potentially fatal, systemic form…

Krisha S: Multiple Autoimmune Condition I have endometriosis, multiple sclerosis (MS), fibromyalgia, and Stiff Person Syndrome…

Kym: Diffuse, CREST Scleroderma, Lupus and Fibromyalgia It all started with Raynaud's in my fingers and toes when I was about nineteen years old, in 1979…

Nina: Fibromyalgia, Raynaud's, Limited Scleroderma/CREST That is when I found ISN! The volume of reliable, informative, trusted information that I found on this site completely overwhelmed me…

Rachelle: Endometriosis and Interstitial Cystitis I am just happy after two and a half years to know that I have a real answer and I can get better…

Star S: Morphea and Systemic Scleroderma I was diagnosed with morphea at age seven. Now at age thirty-three, I have recently developed systemic scleroderma with gastrointestinal manifestations, Sjogren's syndrome, inflammatory arthritis, malabsorption…

Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

(Case Report) A rare association of localized scleroderma (LS) type morphea, vitiligo, autoimmune hypothyroidism, pneumonitis, autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura and central nervous system vasculitis. It is likely that localized scleroderma has an autoimmune origin and in this case becomes part of multiple autoimmune syndrome (MAS), which consist of the presence of three or more well-defined autoimmune diseases in a single patient. PubMed, BMC Res Notes. (Also see Causes of Morphea, Vitiligo, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, Vasculitis, and Multiple Autoimmune Syndrome)

Leukemia

It is rare, but scleroderma has been associated with Large Granular Lymphocyte Leukemia. Medscape.

Neuromuscular Diseases

Neuromuscular diseases that may be associated with scleroderma include polymyositis, dermatomyositis, and inclusion body myositis. (Also see Overlap Syndrome). ISN.

Pancytopenia

Pancytopenia is a medical condition in which there is a reduction in the number of red and white blood cells, as well as platelets. Wikipedia.

Case Report: Brucella Pneumonia with Systemic Complications and Pancytopenia. The patient had systemic signs and bone marrow suppression with pulmonary involvement, but with treatment he had a very good outcome. PubMed, Infect Disord Drug Targets.

Polyarteritis Nodosa (PAN)

Case report: Postirradiation morphea and subcutaneous polyarteritis nodosa. Postirradiation morphea is an uncommon condition but is being increasingly recognized. Radiation may be responsible for inducing some of the pathogenic changes seen in scleroderma and other autoimmune diseases. PubMed, Semin Arthritis Rheum. (Also see Causes of Morphea and Causes of Scleroderma: Radiation)

Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP)

Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP) is a blood disorder that causes blood clots to form in small blood vessels around the body, and leads to a low platelet count (thrombocytopenia). Medline Plus.

Tuberculous Fasciitis in Scleroderma

(Case Report) Tuberculous fasciitis in scleroderma. We here report a case of tuberculous fasciitis manifest with painful swelling of the midposterior muscles of the right thigh without pulmonary tuberculosis in a patient with scleroderma. PubMed, Clin Rheumatol.

Vulvodynia

Vulvodynia: Vaginal pain can occur in Scleroderma patients from Sjögren's causing excessive vaginal dryness.

Warts

Warts. People with immune deficiencies are more susceptible to contracting the virus that causes warts. Common warts, genital warts, and plantar warts are all caused by different strains of the human papillomavirus. Warts.org.

Footnotes

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