Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Sclerodactyly
Introduction
Overview
Sclerodactyly is a localized thickening and tightness of the skin of the fingers or toes. Sclerodactyly is commonly accompanied by atrophy of the underlying soft tissues.
The term “sclerodactyly” is made up from the Greek “skleros” meaning hard and “daktylos” meaning a finger or toe – “hard fingers or toes”.
It is sometimes associated with scleroderma and mixed connective tissue disease, auto-immune disorders.
Sclerodactyly is a component of the CREST variant of scleroderma (CREST is an acronym that stands for calcinosis, Raynaud’s phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasia.)