What is the life expectancy after being diagnosed with scleroderma?

Varies: It varies depending on the type and extent of the scleroderma. People with morphea or linear scleroderma with only skin involvement have normal life expectancies. On the other end of the spectrum, people with diffuse scleroderma with heart and lung involvement die much sooner (up to 10% die in five years). Aggressive treatment of kidney involvement has improved the prognosis for some patients.