$Unique_ID{BRK00407}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{What Causes Morphea and Will it Turn to Cancer?}
$Subject{circumscribed scleroderma morphea Ill Defined Symptoms symptom Rare
Diseases disease Skin Subcutaneous Tissue headaches arthritic pain collagen
dermis layer edematous swells swelling lump lumps trauma pregnancy menopause
headache}
$Volume{N-20,L-20}
$Log{
Anatomy of the Skin*0006701.scf}

Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


What Causes Morphea and Will it Turn to Cancer?


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QUESTION:  My son was recently diagnosed as having a rare skin disease called
Morphea.  He has three lumps on his back now.  Can you tell me what causes
them, and whether this will ever turn to cancer?

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ANSWER:  Morphea, known also as circumscribed scleroderma, was first described
by Dr. C.H. Fagge, in the Guy's Hospital Report, in 1868.  It is not a disease
one sees every day, and is usually observed more frequently in women than men.
With an onset between the ages of 20 to 40, it may be accompanied by headaches
and arthritic type pain.  Actually it is a disease that attacks the collagen
elements of the dermis layer of the skin.  The area becomes filled with fluid
(edematous) and swells, causing the lumps you have observed.  It then proceeds
to form scar like tissue, making the skin feel hard.  There are five different
varieties that are recognized, each a bit different in the way it looks, and
the areas of the body it affects.  No clear cause has been discovered,
although its beginnings may be associated with trauma to the skin, pregnancy
or menopause.  Usually no treatment is indicated, but in serious cases, the
affected areas may be injected with corticosteroids, cortisone-like
medication.  If the scars interfere with necessary functions, surgery may be
performed to remove them.  I found no mention of this condition becoming
cancerous in the material I read, but am pleased to report that several types
of morphea may improve spontaneously after a three to five year period.

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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.