Question: What are the symptoms of Localized scleroderma ?
Answer: What are the signs and symptoms of Localized scleroderma? Signs and symptoms of morphea, include: Hardening of the skin. Thickening of the skin. Discoloration of the affected skin to look lighter or darker than the surrounding area. The first signs of the disease are reddish patches of skin that thicken into firm, oval-shaped areas. The center of each patch becomes ivory colored with violet borders. These patches sweat very little and have little hair growth. Patches appear most often on the chest, stomach, and back. Sometimes they appear on the face, arms, and legs. Morphea usually affects only the uppermost layers of your skin, but in some cases may involve fatty or connective tissue below your skin. Morphea can be either localized or generalized. Localized morphea limits itself to one or several patches, ranging in size from a half-inch to 12 inches in diameter. The condition sometimes appears on areas treated by radiation therapy. Some people have both morphea and linear scleroderma (which is characterized by a single line or band of thickened and/or abnormally colored skin). The disease is referred to as generalized morphea when the skin patches become very hard and dark and spread over larger areas of the body. The Human Phenotype Ontology provides the following list of signs and symptoms for Localized scleroderma. If the information is available, the table below includes how often the symptom is seen in people with this condition. You can use the MedlinePlus Medical Dictionary to look up the definitions for these medical terms. Signs and Symptoms Approximate number of patients (when available) Dry skin 90% Hypopigmented skin patches 90% Skeletal muscle atrophy 50% Camptodactyly of toe 7.5% Lower limb asymmetry 7.5% The Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) has collected information on how often a sign or symptom occurs in a condition. Much of this information comes from Orphanet, a European rare disease database. The frequency of a sign or symptom is usually listed as a rough estimate of the percentage of patients who have that feature. The frequency may also be listed as a fraction. The first number of the fraction is how many people had the symptom, and the second number is the total number of people who were examined in one study. For example, a frequency of 25/25 means that in a study of 25 people all patients were found to have that symptom. Because these frequencies are based on a specific study, the fractions may be different if another group of patients are examined. Sometimes, no information on frequency is available. In these cases, the sign or symptom may be rare or common.
Source: GARD

Question: What causes Localized scleroderma ?
Answer: What causes morphea? The exact cause of morphea is unknown. It is not infectious. It is not hereditary, though, similar problems may present in other family members. It's believed that a reaction of the immune system plays a role in the development of this rare condition. Experts have explored a possible connection between morphea and infection, such as measles or chickenpox, but recent research doesn't support this theory. Other factors that may be associated with the onset of morphea include radiation therapy or repeated trauma to the affected area.
Source: GARD

Question: What are the treatments for Localized scleroderma ?
Answer: How might morphea be treated? There is no cure for morphea. Treatment is aimed at controlling the signs and symptoms and slowing the spread of the disease. The precise treatment depends on the extent and severity of the condition. Some people with mild morphea may choose to defer treatment. For people with morphea involving only the skin who want treatment, treatment may involve UVA1 phototherapy (or else broad band UVA, narrow band UVB, or PUVA), tacrolimus ointment, or steroid shots. Other treatment options include high potency steroid creams, vitamin D analog creams, or imiquimod. If a persons morphea is rapidly progressive, severe, or causing significant disability treatment options may include systemic steroids (glucocorticoids) and methotrexate. People with morphea should be monitored for joint changes and referred for physical and occupational therapy as appropriate.
Source: GARD