Case Report: A case of stiff skin syndrome from a rural tertiary hospital in Eastern Cape

Abstract

We present a case report of a four-year-old girl with stiff skin syndrome associated with bone involvement at the femoral head. She presented with thickness of the skin of the trunk and limbs, noted from the age of one year. This was associated with hypertrichosis and reduced joint mobility of the left lower extremity. The patient received physiotherapeutic treatments and underwent orthopedic examinations. A diagnosis of stiff skin syndrome should be considered in infants and children with thick skin, particularly if there is associated hypertrichosis. Important differentials to rule out include generalized morphea and systemic sclerosis. In this piece, we share insight on how a young girl with stiff skin syndrome associated with bone involvement at the femoral head presented and was managed in a rural tertiary health facility despite resource constraints.