[Localized scleroderma: a retrospective study about 92 cases].

BACKGROUND: Sclerodermas are rare affections which can be located or generalized. Localized form is the most frequent. AIM: The purpose of this study was to describe epidemiologic, clinics, biological, immunological, therapeutic, evolutionary characteristics of the localized scleroderma through a personal series and the data of the literature. METHOD: We have performed a retrospective study on all patients followed in the department of dermatology of the Hospital Charles Nicole during 14 years period. RESULTS: Our study was about 92 cases of localized scleroderma (73 were females and 19 males). The mean age was 35 years (between 2 and 72 years). The majority of localised sclerodermas (66.2% of the cases) appeared before 40 years with a maximum of frequency between 10 and 30 years (41.6%). Only 11.9% of the cases were observed before 10 years. They were 51 cases (55%) of morphea, 35 cases (38%) of scleroderma in bands including 32 linear scleroderma and 3 scleroderma en coup de sabre, 5 cases (5.5%) of generalized morphea and 1 case (0.15%) of deep morphea. Average therapeutic was specified among 63 patients (87%), and the evolution could be appreciated among 45 patients. CONCLUSION: The epidemiologic data observed in our series are comparable with those reported in the literature. Therapeutic difficulties and risks of functional after-effects, particular in scleroderma in bands, remain the principal concern for all the authors.