aetiology

Last reviewed 01/2018

This is unknown but:

• high titres of circulating speckled or nucleolar antinuclear antibody has been found in up to 60% of cases
• familial cases have been documented
• HLA-B8 and DR3 haplotypes occur frequently
• environmental factors may, in some cases, play an initiating role:
• agents inducing scleroderma include benzene, silica, epoxy resin, trichloroethylene, vinyl chloride, drugs (e.g. cocaine, carbidopa, bleomycin).