硬皮病是一种以皮肤发生硬化为特征的疾病,大多数的患者以局限性或弥漫性皮肤及内脏器官结缔组织纤维化或硬化,继而发生萎缩为特点。硬皮病为什么会发生内脏器官的病变呢?医学家们研究认为,很可能是在遗传基础上加上持久的慢性刺激因素(如细菌或病毒性感染)而形成的一种自身免疫性疾病。主要病变部位为人体全身的结缔组织,所以硬皮病的发病部位不仅仅在皮肤,而且可以在内脏。医学上将结缔组织发生的病变统称为结缔组织病,所以说硬 Scleroderma is a disease characterized by sclerosis of the skin. Most patients are characterized by focal or diffuse fibrosis or sclerosis of the connective tissues of the skin and internal organs followed by atrophy. Why does scleroderma occur with lesions in internal organs? Medical scientists believe it is likely to be an autoimmune disease that is genetically linked to long-lasting chronic stimuli such as bacterial or viral infections. The main lesion is the body’s connective tissue, so the incidence of scleroderma is not only in the skin, but also in the viscera. Medical connective tissue lesions are collectively referred to as connective tissue disease, so hard