Scleroderma
Overview
Scleroderma is the name for a range of conditions that affect your immune system (autoimmune conditions) and can cause hard, thickened areas of skin and sometimes problems with muscles, bones, internal organs and blood vessels.
Causes
Normally, the body's immune system fights off any germs that infect the body. It responds like this to anything in the body it doesn't recognise, and settles down when the infection has been cleared. It's thought scleroderma occurs because part of the immune system has become overactive and out of control. This leads to cells in the connective tissue producing too much collagen, causing scarring and thickening (fibrosis) of the tissue. It's not clear why this happens. Certain genes are thought to be involved, and having a close family member with the condition may increase your risk.