Scleredema
Encyclopedia
Scleredema, also known as Buschke disease, Scleredema of Buschke, and Scleredema adultorum, is a rare, self-limiting
, skin
condition defined by progressive thickening and hardening of the skin, usually on the areas of the upper
back
, neck
, shoulders
and face
. The skin may also change color to red
or orange
. The disease was discovered by Abraham Buschke
. Although the cause of scleredema is unknown, it is usually associated with a disease, most of the times being diabetes, a viral
illness or strep throat
. It is usually non-fatal, but it may cause death if the disease spreads to the internal organs. It may also cause an infection.
, in which hematoxylin and eosin stained staining will show a thick reticular dermis
with thick collagen
bundles separated by clear spaces. The patient's blood
may be examined for diseases that may appear after the onset of symptoms, such as multiple myeloma
.
their condition. If the affected area is infected, it is usually treated immediately. The symptoms of the condition usually resolve within 6 months to 2 years after onset. However, patients whose condition was associated to diabetes may suffer for longer periods of time.
Myocarditis
resulting as a complication from the disease has been successfully treated with penicillin
and steroids.
Self-limiting
Self-limiting may refer to:*Self-limiting , an organism or colony of organisms which limits its own growth*Governor , used to control the speed of mechanical equipment to prevent it from operating at unsafe speeds...
, skin
Skin
-Dermis:The dermis is the layer of skin beneath the epidermis that consists of connective tissue and cushions the body from stress and strain. The dermis is tightly connected to the epidermis by a basement membrane. It also harbors many Mechanoreceptors that provide the sense of touch and heat...
condition defined by progressive thickening and hardening of the skin, usually on the areas of the upper
Upper
Upper may refer to:* Stimulant drugs* Vamp - the part of a shoe on the top of the foot* The top part of some other object or device...
back
Back
- People :* Adam Back, British cryptographer* Charles Back, South African winemaker* Chris Back , Australian politician* Ernst Emil Alexander Back , German physicist* Frédéric Back , Canadian animator...
, neck
Neck
The neck is the part of the body, on many terrestrial or secondarily aquatic vertebrates, that distinguishes the head from the torso or trunk. The adjective signifying "of the neck" is cervical .-Boner anatomy: The cervical spine:The cervical portion of the human spine comprises seven boney...
, shoulders
Shoulders
Shoulders is drinking game that involves players competing in a fast paced game attempting to "count" to 21.-Game play:*The game begins with a player slapping his left/right shoulder, this starts the count at 1....
and face
Face
The face is a central sense organ complex, for those animals that have one, normally on the ventral surface of the head, and can, depending on the definition in the human case, include the hair, forehead, eyebrow, eyelashes, eyes, nose, ears, cheeks, mouth, lips, philtrum, temple, teeth, skin, and...
. The skin may also change color to red
Red
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
or orange
Orange (colour)
The colour orange occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum at a wavelength of about 585–620 nm, and has a hue of 30° in HSV colour space. It is numerically halfway between red and yellow in a gamma-compressed RGB colour space, the expression of which is the RGB colour wheel. The...
. The disease was discovered by Abraham Buschke
Abraham Buschke
Abraham Buschke was a Jewish German dermatologist who was a native of Nakel in the Province of Posen. In 1891 he received his doctorate in Berlin, and afterwards was a surgical assistant in Greifswald. Later he worked at dermatological clinics in Breslau under Albert Neisser and in Berlin with...
. Although the cause of scleredema is unknown, it is usually associated with a disease, most of the times being diabetes, a viral
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
illness or strep throat
Strep throat
Streptococcal pharyngitis, streptococcal tonsillitis, or streptococcal sore throat is a type of pharyngitis caused by a group A streptococcal infection. It affects the pharynx including the tonsils and possibly the larynx. Common symptoms include fever, sore throat, and enlarged lymph nodes...
. It is usually non-fatal, but it may cause death if the disease spreads to the internal organs. It may also cause an infection.
Diagnosis
The scleredema is usually proposed as a diagnosis based on the appearance of the skin and the patient's medical history. To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor performs a skin biopsySkin biopsy
Skin biopsy is a biopsy technique in which a skin lesion is removed and sent to the pathologist to render a microscopic diagnosis. It is usually done under local anesthetic in a physician's office, and results are often available in 4 to 10 days. It is commonly performed by dermatologists. Skin...
, in which hematoxylin and eosin stained staining will show a thick reticular dermis
Reticular dermis
The reticular dermis is the lower layer of the dermis, found under the papillary dermis, composed of dense irregular connective tissue featuring densely packed collagen fibers. It is the primary location of dermal elastic fibers....
with thick collagen
Collagen
Collagen is a group of naturally occurring proteins found in animals, especially in the flesh and connective tissues of mammals. It is the main component of connective tissue, and is the most abundant protein in mammals, making up about 25% to 35% of the whole-body protein content...
bundles separated by clear spaces. The patient's blood
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
may be examined for diseases that may appear after the onset of symptoms, such as multiple myeloma
Multiple myeloma
Multiple myeloma , also known as plasma cell myeloma or Kahler's disease , is a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell normally responsible for the production of antibodies...
.
Treatment
Although many types of medications have been tried as treatments, none of them have been proven effective in treating scleredema. Those treatments, such as corticosteroids, may benefit the patient, but it will not cureCure
A cure is a completely effective treatment for a disease.The Cure is an English rock band.Cure, or similar, may also refer to:-Film and television:* The Cure , a short film starring Charlie Chaplin...
their condition. If the affected area is infected, it is usually treated immediately. The symptoms of the condition usually resolve within 6 months to 2 years after onset. However, patients whose condition was associated to diabetes may suffer for longer periods of time.
Myocarditis
Myocarditis
Myocarditis is inflammation of heart muscle . It resembles a heart attack but coronary arteries are not blocked.Myocarditis is most often due to infection by common viruses, such as parvovirus B19, less commonly non-viral pathogens such as Borrelia burgdorferi or Trypanosoma cruzi, or as a...
resulting as a complication from the disease has been successfully treated with penicillin
Penicillin
Penicillin is a group of antibiotics derived from Penicillium fungi. They include penicillin G, procaine penicillin, benzathine penicillin, and penicillin V....
and steroids.