J Korean Orthop Assoc.  2010 Feb;45(1):88-91. 10.4055/jkoa.2010.45.1.88.

Acroosteolysis of Scleroderma Associated with a Felon

• Hwang IH
• Lim MS
• Kim KY
• Kim HC
• Moon SH
• Lee JH
• Cho SJ

• KMID: 2185600
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4055/jkoa.2010.45.1.88

Abstract

The Scleroderma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the connective tissue with involvement of the skin and other organs. It can be a manifestation of various disorders and occasionally acroosteolysis in the phalanges. Acroosteolysis is characterized by bone resorption or destruction in the phalanges, while the base is preserved. The pathogenesis of acroosteolysis in patients with scleroderma is a blood-flow disorder that is mainly associated with an abnormal accumulation of collagen in all tissues, microangiopathy and infections in the phalanges. The phalanges in patients with scleroderma are prone to continuous infections as a felon or skin ulcers due to atrophy of the subcutaneous tissue, dry and sclerotic skin, or a disorder of the immune system. We experienced a patient who had acroosteolysis with scleroderma of the phalanges, and this was associated with a felon. We report on this case along with a brief review of the literature.

Keyword

scleroderma; acroosteolysis; felon

MeSH Terms

Acro-Osteolysis
Atrophy
Bone Resorption
Collagen
Connective Tissue
Humans
Immune System
Skin
Skin Ulcer
Subcutaneous Tissue
Collagen

Figure

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  Figure 1 Photograph shows shortening and sclerotic thickening of fingers with a felon.

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  Figure 2 Radiograph of both hands shows acroosteolysis of distal phalanges excluding second and fifth finger in left hand.

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  Figure 3 In fingertip, there was severe inflammatory and degenerative pulp with neutrophil infiltration (white arrow) and abnormal accumulative collagen (black arrow) (H-E stain, ×200).

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