RESEARCH Retrospective analysis of t a e

Full list of author information is available at the end of the articleBackground Scleroderma (systemic sclerosis, SSc) is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by excessive extracellular matrix deposition, fibrosis and vascular alterations [1,2]. The disorder can affect almost any organ, including the kidneys, the gastrointestinal tract, lungs or heart, and most not-ably the skin, and may lead to severe dysfunction up to complete organ failure [3]. The two major forms of SSc are localized scleroderma and systemic scleroderma. Localized scleroderma is the more common form of the disease and only affects the skin without any internal organ involvement. By contrast, systemic scleroderma or systemic sclerosis is characterized by cutaneous and non-cutaneous involvement and can be further subdivided into limited cutaneous scleroderma (lcSSc) and diffuse cutaneous scleroderma (dcSSc). The latter types are defined with regard to the extent of skin tightening, the number of affected inner organs as well as their typical autoanti