An evaluation of long-term outcomes in adults with pediatric-onset morphea.

T he prevalence of morphea in childhood is not well established, but reports suggest that approximately two-thirds of linear morphea cases occur before age 18 years, and 20% to 30% of morphea cases overall begin in childhood. Studies have described substantial morbidity in children with morphea, but to our knowledge none has addressed the disease effects when the patients reach adulthood (age 18 years). To assess the impact of childhood morphea in adults, we searched the Morphea Registry and DNA Repository at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW) for adults with pediatric-onset morphea (APOMs), and we report our findings herein.