Morphea is an inflammatory skin condition characterized by thickening and fibrosis of the skin. It is a type of localized scleroderma. It is a self-limiting condition that usually affects the skin only and goes by itself. Its causes are not properly understood. Its symptoms include hard thickened skin. it involves the skin of abdomen, chest back sometimes face, neck and limbs. Its lesions are not severe. In rare cases, it causes eye damages, joint contractures, muscle wasting, and other deformities. It disappears in three to five years. It can relapse again. However, there is no cure for morphea.
Who Is At Risk For Morphea?
The risk factors of Morphea are following-
Sex– morphea affects women than men. It starts in their childhood in most cases.
Age– morphea is mostly diagnosed in young children. It is diagnosed at the age of 2 and 14 years or in the adults who is in the age of 50 years.
Family– it is observed that inherited genes from morphea affected parents are carried to their children. Those who have autoimmune diseases in their family members can also develop morphea.
Personal history– people who three or more autoimmune diseases are more likely to develop morphea.
Race– morphea is commonly seen in the people who belong to European descent and Caucasian race.
Environmental Exposure– those who are constantly exposed to toxins, etc. are more at risk of morphea.
Infection– those who are exposed to infection are more risk of morphea.
Symptoms Of Morphea
Morphea is represented by its typical lesions. The lesions are hard, firm, or thickened patches that have lightened center. They are oval shaped and usually limited to the skin. They appear on abdomen, trunk, chest or back and may involve face, neck or limbs. They lead to the loss of hair in the affected area. They are usually painless. They sometimes become so hard that they may involve the tissues of bone or muscles leading to joint contractures and muscle wasting. This may thereby result in disability or cosmetic deformity.
Complications Of Morphea
- Linear morphea can cause seizures and other neurological problems when it involves the face or scalp. It can also cause permanent damage to the eyes.
- Generalized morphea can cause joint contractures, shortening of limbs and muscle wasting.
- Pansclerotic morphea can cause breathing difficulties if it affects the chest and nearby regions.
Morphea is a rare disease of the skin that is represented by hard, firm and thick lesions. These lesions are usually reddish oval shaped with a light center with borders. It is a type of localized scleroderma. It is usually limited to the skin. It affects the skin of the chest, abdomen or back and sometimes involves face, neck and the limbs. It is usually a painless condition that disappears by itself in three to five years.
Morphea affects women more than men. It usually starts in the early childhood. The average age in which most of the cases of morphea is diagnosed is 20-50 years. Linear morphea is its most common type that affects the children the most. It does not affect the life expectancy of a person.
Causes Of Morphea
The exact cause behind the appearance of morphea is not clearly understood. Several theories are suggested to the reveal causes of the morphea. The autoimmunity, genetic inheritance, infections, radiations, trauma or injury or environmental exposures are some of them. It is seen more in people who have three or more autoimmune diseases at the same time. The affected person usually has a family history of autoimmune diseases.
Conclusion
Morphea is a pathological condition of the skin marked by fibrosis of the skin. It causes discoloration and thickening of the skin. Women are affected by it than men whom usually develop first in their childhood. People who have a family history, exposed to environmental toxins and others discussed above.
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