Changes in Disease Activity and Damage Over Time in Patients With Morphea

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Autoimmune diseases
• Scleroderma

Background:

• Prospective studies on morphea disease course, especially comparing adults and children, are limited.
• Understanding morphea's natural history and treatment response is essential for effective patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the disease course of morphea in adults and children treated with standard-of-care therapy.
• To evaluate disease activity, progression, and recurrence using validated clinical outcome measures.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study of 130 adults and children with morphea.
• Patients received standard-of-care therapy and were followed for at least 2 years.
• Localized Scleroderma Cutaneous Assessment Tool (LoSCAT) scores were recorded at each visit.

Main Results:

• Morphea disease activity improved in most patients within 6-12 months; sclerosis improved over 2-5 years.
• Recurrence of disease activity was observed in 43% of generalized subtype and 21% of linear subtype patients.
• The median time to first recurrence was 1.1 years for generalized and 2.3 years for linear subtypes.

Conclusions:

• Standard-of-care therapy effectively improves morphea disease activity and allows sclerosis to improve.
• Morphea, particularly the generalized subtype, often follows a relapsing-remitting course requiring long-term monitoring.
• Patients with morphea need extended monitoring for potential disease recurrence.