Scleredema adultorum of Buschke associated with hypothyroidism and liver cirrhosis

• Main Authors: S Muralidharan, K Arun, V Ruckmani, B Devi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2021-01-01
• Series: Journal of Postgraduate Medicine
• Subjects: autoimmune hypothyroidism; chronic liver disease; topical steroid therapy
• Online Access: http://www.jpgmonline.com/article.asp?issn=0022-3859;year=2021;volume=67;issue=3;spage=174;epage=176;aulast=Muralidharan

Scleredema adultorum of Buschke is a rare disorder of the connective tissue, involving the skin. Here, we present a 61-year-old male, who is a known case of compensated liver cirrhosis with a past history of being treated for autoimmune thyrotoxicosis, who presented with complaints of alopecia, skin tightening, dry skin, pruritus, and woody indurated plaques on the skin of the upper back, shoulder, and arms. Skin biopsy of the arm revealed the characteristic features of scleredema. He was extensively evaluated for known literature-cited causes of scleredema, and the work up revealed a negative result. He was also found to be hypothyroid on presentation. Hence, we present a case of scleredema occurring in a patient with hypothyroidism and chronic liver disease, which to our knowledge is being described for the first time in literature.