Generalized Morphea-Like Scleroderma Occurring in People Exposed to Organic Solvents

Abstract

Adult patients having systemic scleroderma with generalized morphea-like skin lesions, whom we had examined during the past 7 years, were reexamined because their clinical features were somewhat similar to those of occupational scleroderma described hitherto. Out of 9 patients, 7 patients had been engaged in occupations exposing them to organic solvents for a long time before or after Raynaud’s phenomenon appeared. A skin sclerosis was also induced experimentally with some aliphatic hydrocarbons of organic solvents.