Sclerosis (from
Greek σκληρός sklērós, "hard") is the stiffening of a tissue or anatomical feature, usually caused by a replacement of the normal organ-specific tissue with
connective tissue. The structure may be said to have undergone sclerotic changes or display sclerotic
lesions, which refers to the process of sclerosis.
Common medical conditions whose pathology involves sclerosis include:
Systemic sclerosis (progressive systemic
scleroderma), a rare, chronic disease which affects the skin, and in some cases also blood vessels and internal organs.
Tuberous sclerosis, a rare genetic disease which affects multiple systems.