Werner syndrome or adult progeria: a rare scleroderma mimicker

Abstract

Werner syndrome, a premature aging disorder, is a rare cause of pseudoscleroderma and can present with a multitude of clinical features involving the skin, endocrine and cardiovascular systems. Although genetic, the disease has its onset in puberty and cutaneous features like graying of hair, atrophic sclerotic skin, recurrent ulcers, and dyspigmentation are the first to manifest. All these features usually mislead the clinician to make a diagnosis of systemic sclerosis. A similar case is being presented and the importance of differentiating these two disorders is being discussed.