Linear Scleroderma

THE CAUSE of linear scleroderma is obscure. Several authors have been impressed by the fact that many lesions in this disease have a segmental distribution or follow the course of peripheral nerves. Therefore, they have assumed that linear scleroderma originates in the nervous system.¹In support of the neurogenic theory are observations in cases in which the development of linear scleroderma followed nerve injury; for instance, the case of Kingery²in which, following block anesthesia of the mandibular nerve, a sclerodermatic lesion developed in the supply area of this nerve. Bettman,³however, interpreted linear scleroderma as a developmental anomaly independent of the nervous system and rather analogous to nevi, because he observed a striking similarity in the patterns of unilateral linear nevi and linear scleroderma. The following report is based on the observations in 13 unselected cases of linear scleroderma. All the patients were seen in the