Scleroderma is classified as an autoimmune disease. In an autoimmune disease, the body's immune system mistakes healthy tissues as foreign and potentially dangerous invaders into the body and attacks them. This process results in an excessive production of a protein called collagen and a hardening of tissues, which can seriously affect many body systems, including the skin, blood vessels and organs.

According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, there are some patterns of syndrome that lead to scleroderma.
1. Cold and damp damage the meridians, the grain of skin and the texture of subcutaneous flesh.
2. Wind and damp invading to body, it stops the skin and flesh from connecting with meridians each other.
3. Qi-stagnation and blood stasis, it causes the imbalance of yingqi and weiqi, the blood and Qi cannot flow easily through the meridians.
4. Deficiency of kidney and spleen. This can lead to the imbalance of Yin and yang, and so the skin cannot be warmed and nourished. As time goes on, amyotrophy occurs, and the skin becomes stiff like leather.