Scleredema adultorum. Not always a benign self-limited disease

Abstract

Eight cases of scleredema adultorum are presented, together with a review of 215 previously reported cases. Contrary to present day concepts, 25% of the cases showed either no improvement or only partial improvement 2 or more years after the onset of the disease. Unlike systemic sclerosis, with which it is often confused, scleredema adultorum frequently involves the tongue but not the esophagus, rarely the hands, and never the feet. A significant elevation of the antistreptolysin O titer, which was associated with a preceding febrile illness, was observed in 2 patients in the pediatric age group, but not in any of the adult patients.