The skin and rheumatism

Abstract

The skin is commonly affected in chronic inflammatory disorders and may act as a visual marker for internal or systemic inflammation. Frequent inflammatory skin diseases, like psoriasis and atopic dermatitis (AD), are associated with rheumatic and inflammatory bowel diseases. Metabolic, mental and cardiovascular comorbidity are frequent consequences of chronic inflammation. Further intersections between skin and joints are connective tissue diseases (collagenoses) and can be observed in complex diseases, e.g. systemic lupus erythematosus. Clinically, these diseases range from predominant cutaneous to severe systemic implication of several organs. Localized scleroderma should be clinically distinguished from systemic sclerosis and treated sufficiently to avoid long-term damage and disability. Thus, interdisciplinary disease management is of crucial importance.