Juvenile Scleroderma and Calcinosis Cutis: Case Report

Abstract

Calcinosis cutis is a tissue calcification of cutaneous tissues. It is divided into four categories: dystrophic, metastatic, idiopathic and iatrogenic. The dystrophic type, which develops secondary to non-metabolic diseases, is the most common type. It may be observed in collagen tissue diseases including scleroderma, CREST syndrome, dermatomyositis and systemic lupus erythematosus. In this report, we present a 9-year-old patient with swelling and roughness on both hands and arms, solid nodules on the anterior aspect of both arms next to the elbows- more prominent on the left side- who was under follow-up for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) for the last 3 years. Histopathological examination of the cutaneous biopsy material obtained from a nodular lesion and magnetic resonance images revealed the diagnosis of scleroderma and calcinosis cutis. In accordance to the result of the assessment of the patient, we suggest that scleroderma should always be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis of calcinosis cutis in patients with JRA. Copyright © 2009 by Türk Tibbi Rehabilitasyon Kurumu Derneǧi.