Irradiation with Water-Filtered Infrared A plus Visible Light Improves Cutaneous Scleroderma Lesions in a Series of Cases

<i>Background:</i> Cutaneous scleroderma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the dermal and subcutaneous connective tissue leading to sclerosis. Sclerosis of the skin can lead to dysmorphism, contractures and restrictions of movement. <i>Objective:</i> The purpose of the study was to evaluate sclerosis in cutaneous scleroderma patients and to determine the efficacy of water-filtered infrared A plus visible light treatment, wIRA(+VIS), in 10 patients. <i>Methods:</i> Hardness of the normal and diseased skin was measured by durometry in 10 controls and 8 patients. Moreover, circumscribed scleroderma (CS) was treated with wIRA(+VIS) irradiations in 10 patients who had not responded to conventional therapies. <i>Results:</i> wIRA(+VIS) therapy led to a marked improvement, persistent even during long-term follow-up, in 7 out of 10 patients with CS. Of the other patients, 1 showed decreased sclerosis and disease activity and developed a worsening after cessation of therapy. In 2 further patients, where previous UVA1 treatment had failed to reduce disease activity, wIRA(+VIS) produced a slight decrease in sclerosis, but disease activity was still present. <i>Conclusion:</i> wIRA(+VIS) appears to be effective in the treatment of CS. Durometry proved to be helpful in assessing the degree of sclerosis and in documenting the response to therapy in these patients.