Abstract
Systemic sclerosis is a rare, systemic connective tissue disease that mainly affects middle-aged and older women, and typically involves the skin, musculoskeletal system, and internal organs - especially the lungs, heart, digestive tract, and kidneys. Increased mortality of this disease is due to organ manifestations and their complications.
However, skin involvement is one of the main factors of increased morbidity, reduced function, ability to work, and quality of life of patients. Skin manifestations are often the first symptom by which an early diagnosis can be made, and adequate comprehensive therapy initiated.
This article presents an overview of the main skin manifestations of systemic sclerosis, basic methods of their examination, and current possibilities of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment.