Can Scleroderma Kill You?

Scleroderma is not contagious. It may run in families, but it often occurs in patients without any family history of the disease. It ranges from very mild to potentially fatal. Up to 1 in 3 people with the condition develop severe symptoms.

How do you die from scleroderma?

Most scleroderma experts believe that, currently, the most frequent cause of death is pulmonary involvement, either interstitial lung disease or pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

Is scleroderma a fatal disease?

It is the most fatal of all the rheumatologic diseases. Systemic scleroderma is very unpredictable although most cases can be classified into one of four different general patterns of disease (see Classification).