with a 1-year history of skin thickening. The process began on her hands and progressed to involve her arms, face, neck, shoulders, chest, and proximal extremities. Her only systemic complaints were limited mobility of her joints, particularly her hands and wrists. Physical examination findings revealed leonine facies. The skin of the neck, shoulders, and chest exhibited 1-to 2-mm coalescent linear papules. The skin of the hands, forearms, upper arms, and trunk was sclerotic. Skin biopsy results showed marked dermal thickening, displacement of collagen bundles by mucin, and numerous spindled fibroblasts, consistent with scleromyxedema. The results of laboratory tests, including a complete blood cell count, chemistry tests, liver function tests, an antinuclear antibody panel, an extractable nuclear antigen panel, and thyroid function tests, were normal. Immunoglobulins were obtained, and the following levels were revealed: IgM, 92 mg/dL (reference range, 25-210 mg/ dL); IgA, 152 mg/dL (reference range, 40-390 mg/dL); and IgG, 1490 mg/dL (reference range, 525-1650 mg/ dL), with a light chain monoclonal gammopathy. Hematologic evaluations, including serum and urine protein electrophoresis, immunoelectrophoresis, a bone marrow examination, and radiography of the head and chest, produced no evidence of multiple myeloma.Because of significant restriction of joint mobility, the patient underwent treatment with cytotoxic agents. She was initially treated with melphalan, 16 mg/d orally (PO), plus prednisone, 100 mg/d PO, for 4 days at a time in 1-month intervals for 4 cycles from