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Skin trauma may lead to development of morphea lesions in certain patients

Researchers have reported an association between skin trauma and the development of morphea lesions at the site of antecedent injury, suggesting that that elective procedures and excessive skin trauma or friction should potentially be avoided in these patients.

In a cross-sectional analysis of the Morphea in Adults and Children (MAC) cohort, researchers sought to determine whether patients exhibited skin lesions at the sites of prior (isotopic) or ongoing (isomorphic) trauma.

Among the 329 patients in the MAC cohort, 16% had trauma-associated lesions at the onset of disease.

Although the majority of patients had generalized morphea — 71% isotopic, 97% isomorphic — patients in the isomorphic group had a statistically higher proportion of generalized morphea and a lower proportion of generalized morphea than patients in the isotropic group, according to the researchers.

Greater clinical severity was seen in patients with lesions in an isotopic distribution compared with those who had isomorphic distribution, according to the researchers.

The researchers reported that the most frequent associated traumas were chronic friction and surgery.

Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.