Juvenile Localized Scleroderma: Profile of Patients From a Referral Center in Ceará

Abstract

BACKGROUNDJuvenile localized scleroderma (JLS), also known as morphea, is a spectrum of rare inflammatory pediatric disorders associated with skin and underlying tissue thickening and sclerosis. Clinical manifestations range from skin lesions to extracutaneous involvement that often vary with its subtype. Early recognition is important to reduce disease-related functional impact. METHODSReview of medical records of children and adolescents with diagnosis of JLS from 2015 to May 2022 and regularly followed up in the Pediatric Rheumatology Unit of a tertiary hospital in the state of Ceará was performed. Data included demographics, clinical manifestations, treatment and disease course. RESULTSTwenty patients were included and 13 (65%) were female. The median age at onset, age at diagnosis and time elapsed from symptom onset to diagnosis were, respectively, 6.60 (2-16.4), 9.05 (3.2-17) and 2.45 (0-10.5) years. The most prevalent subtype was mixed morphea (35%), followed by linear form (25%). Involvement was predominantly appendicular, distributing in upper and/or lower limbs in 75%. Five patients had disease restricted to the face, two with en coup de sabre variant and three with Parry-Romberg syndrome. Most of the patients (75%) already had characteristics of long-standing skin disease at diagnosis. Seventeen patients (85%) had extracutaneous manifestations, with a predominance of joint involvement (arthritis/arthralgia of small joints of the hands, wrists and knees) in 13 (65%) of them, followed by gastrointestinal tract (20%). Autoantibodies were positive in 9 (45%) patients, of which ANA (78%) and RF (22%) were the most prevalent. Eighteen patients used corticosteroids at diagnosis, with an average of 8.5 months treatment, and a partial response in 15 (83.3%) of them. Methotrexate was associated in 19 cases, allowing 12 (63.1%) patients to achieve remission. In refractory cases (35%), six received mycophenolate mofetil and two cyclophosphamide. After approximately 3 years of follow-up, 85% of patients had good disease control. CONCLUSIONThe female-to-male ratio (1.85) and the age at onset of symptoms (6.60) are in line with literature (1.7:1 to 3.7:1 and 6.1 to 8.1, respectively). Our study differs in the higher prevalence of mixed morphea subtype in relation to the linear one. Time until diagnosis was long, with most patients presenting already with chronic skin changes, warning about the lack of knowledge about the disease. Immunosuppressive standard treatment, mainly with methotrexate and corticosteroids, shows promising results in controlling the disease progression.