Progress has been made in elucidating the immunological pathways involved in morphea. |
Disease monitoring by reliable and sensitive outcome measures is improved by the localized scleroderma cutaneous assessment tool (LoSCAT); however, especially for deep involvement, additional validated outcome measures are required. |
This review provides two state-of-the-art algorithms that guide care providers with regard to (i) diagnostic work-up and disease monitoring, and (ii) treatment of morphea and eosinophilic fasciitis. |
1 Introduction
2 Epidemiology, Classification and Presentation
2.1 Epidemiology
2.2 Classification
Main group | Subtype | Description |
---|---|---|
(I) Circumscribed morphea | Superficial | Oval or round circumscribed areas of induration limited to epidermis and dermis, often with altered pigmentation and violaceous, erythematous halo (‘lilac ring’). They can be single or multiple |
Deep | Oval or round circumscribed deep induration of the skin involving subcutaneous tissue extending to fascia and may involve underlying muscle. The lesions can be single or multiple. Sometimes the primary site of involvement is in the subcutaneous tissue without involvement of the skin | |
(II) Linear morphea | Trunk/limbs | Linear induration involving dermis, subcutaneous tissue, and sometimes muscle and underlying bone, and affecting the limbs and the trunk |
Head |
En coup de sabre (ECDS): Linear induration that affects the face and the scalp and sometimes involves muscle and underlying bone
Parry–Romberg or progressive hemifacial atrophy: loss of tissue on one side of the face that may involve dermis, subcutaneous tissue, muscle and bone. The skin is mobile | |
(III) Generalized morphea | Induration of the skin starting as individual plaques (four or more and larger than 3 cm) that become confluent and involve at least two out of seven anatomic sites (head/neck, right upper extremity, left upper extremity, right lower extremity, left lower extremity, anterior trunk, posterior trunk) | |
(IV) Pansclerotic morphea | Circumferential involvement of limb(s) affecting the skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle and bone. The lesion may also involve other areas of the body without internal organ involvement | |
(V) Mixed morphea | Combination of two or more of the previous subtypes. The order of the concomitant subtypes, specified in brackets, will follow their predominant representation in the individual patient [i.e., mixed morphea (linear-circumscribed)] |