Scleromyxedema: Treatment with interferon alfa

Scleromyxedema is a variant of papular mucinosis characterized by fibroblas t proliferation and mucin deposition in the dermis. Historically, it has be en very difficult to treat and can cause significant morbidity and mortalit y with systemic involvement. We describe a case of a woman with scleromyxed ema and systemic manifestations treated with interferon alfa. Her skin resp onded very well to therapy within 3 months; however, her systemic manifesta tions showed little change. We conclude that interferon alfa may be a usefu l therapy for patients with scleromyxedema, particularly if the disease pro cess is limited to the skin.