Skin fibrosis
Scleroderma, a Greek word derived from the word sclero, means steel. Derma is a chronic immune disease in which the immune cells attack the body’s various tissues, leading to the death and destruction of these cells. The body produces excess collagen, which causes skin stiffness and low elasticity.
The degree of severity of the disease varies from very mild to serious and life-threatening. The number of people infected with skin in the United States of 300 thousand people, and since the symptoms of this disease similar to the symptoms of other immune diseases, the diagnosis is difficult, so it is possible that there are a number of cases that were diagnosed in the wrong way, and cases not diagnosed. It is worth noting that cystic fibrosis affects women more than men (1: 4), respectively, and usually appears after the age of 30, an uninfected disease and not a type of cancer, and may affect the internal organs of the body, such as the heart and lungs , Kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract.
Types of cirrhosis
The cirrhosis of the skin is divided into two main types:
Systemic fibrosis
Systemic Scleroderma affects the internal organs and skin together, which are two types:
- Limited Cutaneous Skin: The thickness and hardness of the skin are noted in the hands, forearms, legs, and feet.
- Diffuse Cutaneous: Fibrosis affects areas of the body such as hands, arms, thighs, and trunk.
- In both cases, the face is vulnerable.
Limited skin fibrosis
Skin localized scleroderma only affects the skin, which is two types:
- Morphea (Morphea): This species has thick patches ranging from one inch to six inches or more, and is either a single spot or several patches spread throughout the body. These patches are pale or dark compared to the normal skin color, and are often accompanied by loss of a layer of fat underneath.
- Linear scleroderma: This type is characterized by thick lines of skin on the arm and foot on one side of the body only, and accompanied by the loss of fat layer under it, so the size of the infected body is smaller than the right side.
Cause of cirrhosis
The real cause of cirrhosis remains unknown, but the processes that permeate the disease and lead to its complications are obvious. In the case of cirrhosis, the body produces excess collagen in the affected areas, which changes the shape of the skin. This also occurs in the case of systemic fibrosis, which is accompanied by a defect in the immune system, and also accompanied by narrowing of the capillaries, which leads to the occurrence of Known as Raynaud’s disease, a temporary narrowing of the blood vessels is exacerbated by cold or stress due to insufficient blood supply to the various organs, leading to numbness and coldness in the limbs, sometimes turning blue. The body also experiences cases of cirrhosis of the skin different infections.
Factors that may affect the occurrence of cirrhosis include:
- Age.
- Sex.
- Environmental factors: Environmental factors play a role in stimulating cirrhosis of the skin, for example by dealing with silica in mines, certain chemicals and certain drugs.
- Genetic factor: The researchers suggest that a specific gene in the body may increase the risk of cirrhosis.
- Race: The Native American population (or Red Indians) and Africans are more likely to contract skin than others.
Effect of cirrhosis in the body organs
- Blood vessels: It appears to be affected by the form of inflammation, and the spasms and cramps, which we see in the phenomenon of Renault.
- the mouth: Patients may contract a small opening, called microstomia or small mouth, which makes mouth and lips difficult, as well as difficult oral hygiene, dry mouth, jaw pain and gum disease. Some patients may develop what is known as Sjogren’s syndrome, which affects the salivary glands.
- Hands : The fingers, joints and wrists are affected by many injuries such as Reno, resulting in inflammation, ulceration and calcinosis due to accumulation of calcium in the soft tissues and hardening of the skin in the limbs.
- Musculoskeletal system: The effect is on the form of pain and inflammation in the muscles, joints and ligaments.
- Heart and lungs: Pulmonary fibrosis may occur in the lungs, and pulmonary arterial hypertension (hypertension) can occur in the pulmonary blood vessels.
- Kidneys: Renal Crisis is one of the most serious kidney complications in the case of systemic skin fibrosis and is characterized by sudden high blood pressure.
- the brain: In this case, the injury is psychological, with patients suffering from anxiety and depression.
- Digestive: It is considered one of the most affected by post-skin skin grafting. The percentage of patients with gastrointestinal symptoms is between 75% and 90%. Patients have problems with the esophagus, trouble swallowing, diarrhea, and constipation.
- Eyes: If the patient develops Schugren’s syndrome, he will experience dryness in the eyes, which can lead to serious irritations and infections. Sjogren Syndrome is an immunosuppressive disease characterized by impaired functioning of the lacrimal and salivary glands, and affects approximately 20% of people with cirrhosis.
- Skin: Which is the most affected in the cirrhosis of the skin, where the patient suffers from the increase in thickness and dryness, feeling itching, sores, hair loss in the affected areas, increase in pigmentation or decrease, and decrease the effectiveness of skin in the secretion of sweat to the outside.
Treatment of cirrhosis
There is still no treatment for skin curing, but there are methods used to alleviate the symptoms of the disease and its rapid development, including the following:
- Antacids, such as Proton Pump Inhibitors, and drugs to improve bowel movement.
- NSAIDs and cortisone drugs such as prednisone.
- Extensive drugs for blood vessels such as Nifedipine, which reduce the chances of repeated occurrence of Reno phenomenon and ulcers in the limbs.
- Use colchicine.
- Psoralen plus Ultraviolet A (PUVA). This treatment consists of oral medicine as well as exposure to ultraviolet light.