Skin examination
If you have skin symptoms, your doctor may conduct a skin examination to help understand whether scleroderma is causing them or whether there could be other explanations.
1 min read
Looking at:
Any signs of scleroderma in your skin. Skin symptoms that can be caused by scleroderma include: swollen fingers, tight/shiny skin, areas of thickened skin, small ulcers on your fingers, little red spots (telangiectasia) and small lumps (calcinosis).1
What to expect:
Your doctor will ask to look and touch your skin. They may also use a small microscope, called a dermatoscope, to look more closely.1
Understanding your results:
This test is used to see if there could be other explanations for your skin symptoms. The doctor may perform additional tests if they have further concerns.
You may also like to read:
Symptoms of scleroderma
Treatment
Monitoring scleroderma
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BMJ Best Practice. Systemic sclerosis (scleroderma): diagnosis. Available: https://bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/295/diagnosis-approach [Accessed December 2021].
"Try and get as much information as you can from your doctor. He or she is the expert. Take notes and don't be afraid to ask."
– Mike