
Scleroderma, a very rare autoimmune disorder of the skin, is a term coined from the Greek words "sklerosis," which means hardness, and "derma," meaning skin. Thus, scleroderma literally translates to "hard skin." Scleroderma is a group of diseases that involves the abnormal growth of connective tissue, which supports the skin and internal organs. In some forms of scleroderma, the extent of the abnormality of the disease is limited to hard, tight skin. In certain other forms, however, the predicament is worse, where the impact goes much deeper, affecting blood vessels and internal organs, such as the heart, lungs, and kidneys. Scleroderma has no known cure and is a chronic condition, in which patients are affected for life. Localized scleroderma patients, however, with mild symptoms, often see the skin patches disappear on their own in a few years post-onset.