Complications

The visible signs of limited scleroderma — tight, thick skin on your fingers, hands and face — can change your appearance; make everyday tasks, such as opening a jar or shaving, more difficult; and affect your speech. But the most serious complications tend to occur beneath your skin.

• Gastrointestinal problems. Changes in the functioning of esophageal muscles can cause difficulty swallowing and chronic heartburn. When limited scleroderma affects your intestine, it can cause constipation, diarrhea, bloating after meals, unintended weight loss and malnutrition.
• Ulcers on fingers and toes. Severe Raynaud's phenomena can obstruct blood flow to your fingers and toes, causing ulcers that can be difficult to heal. Also, abnormal or narrowed blood vessels combined with severe Raynaud's phenomena can lead to gangrene of fingers or toes, which might require amputation.

• Lung damage. Limited scleroderma can cause a variety of problems with your lungs. In some cases, excess collagen collects in the tissue between the lungs' air sacs, making the lung tissue stiffer and less able to work properly.

  Increased blood pressure in the arteries between your heart and lungs makes the heart work harder and eventually weakens it.

• Heart problems. Scarring of heart tissue can lead to abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) and, in rare cases, to an inflamed heart muscle (myocarditis).
• Kidney problems. Although kidney damage is more common in other forms of scleroderma, it can occur in limited scleroderma. The first indication might be high blood pressure. Restricted blood flow to the kidneys can result in renal crises, which, if untreated, can lead to kidney failure.
• Dental problems. Severe tightening of facial skin can make it difficult to open your mouth wide enough to brush your teeth. Acid reflux can destroy tooth enamel, and changes in gum tissue may cause your teeth to become loose or even fall out.
• Dry eyes and mouth. Limited scleroderma can cause very dry eyes and mouth.