Scleroderma, Information about Scleroderma
Most cases of scleroderma occur with no recognizable initiating event. Some cases, however, have been traced to poisonous (toxic) exposures. For example,coal miners and gold miners (both of whom have a lot of exposure to silica dust) have higher than normal rates of scleroderma. Other types of chemicals that have been associated with scleroderma include polyvinyl chloride, benzine,toluene, and epoxy resins. In 1981, 20,000 people in Spain were stricken with a syndrome similar to scleroderma when a toxic substance accidentally contaminated cooking oil. Some claims of a scleroderma-like illness have been madeby women with silicone breast implants.