Generalized morphea and idiopathic thrombocytopenia.

A patient with generalized morphea and thrombocytopenia is reported. The thrombocytopenia responded promptly to corticosteroid and immunosuppressive therapy but recurred when the steroids were discontinued. The occurrence of thrombocytopenia in generalized morphea suggests a common immune mechanism and emphasizes the need to look for concomitant autoimmune hematologic disorders in patients with systemic, as well as localized, scleroderma.