What Is It? Scleroderma is a poorly understood illness that
causes widespread hardening of the skin, especially on the hands
and face. It also can damage the lungs, heart, kidneys,
digestive tract, muscles and joints. It is a long-lasting
(chronic) autoimmune disorder, an illness in which the body's
immune defenses mistakenly attack the body's own cells rather
than protecting them from outside invaders. Scleroderma also is
called progressive systemic sclerosis. There are two types of
scleroderma. In the limited form, also called limited systemic
sclerosis, the skin is the primary target. In the diffuse form
(diffuse systemic sclerosis), the damage not only affects the
skin, but also can affect the lungs, kidneys and other internal
organs. In people with scleroderma, scientists have identified
abnormal immune proteins called autoantibodies, which are
programmed to attack specific components of body cells. They
also have found abnormal accumulations of protective T cells
(white blood cells that are part of the