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Anneli R. Bowen, MD; Lynn Smith, MD; John J. Zone, MD

Arch Dermatol. 2003;139:780-784.

Background  Scleredema adultorum of Buschke is an uncommon skin condition that may accompany diabetes mellitus. Current therapeutic options are poor, with only case reports and small series supporting their use.

Observation  We describe 3 patients with severe restrictive scleredema associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus who responded to radiation therapy after other treatments had failed. Angle of shoulder abduction was used as an objective measurement of improvement, while the patients rated several subjective areas, including arm range of motion, ease of performing daily tasks, ease of breathing, and neck thickening. Objective improvement tended to plateau over time but remained well above baseline. The duration of subjective improvement was variable, lasting from a few months to the end of the observation time of 2 years.

Conclusion  Though not consistently durable in its effect, radiation therapy appears to be a viable therapeutic option in extreme cases of this difficult-to-treat disease.

From the Departments of Dermatology (Drs Bowen and Zone) and Radiation Oncology (Dr Smith), University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City. The authors have no relevant financial interest in this article.

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