Connective Tissue Disorders are illnesses that affect the connective tissues in the body. Connective tissues are supporting tissue that surrounds other tissues and organs.
Some inherited diseases that affect the connective tissues include:
– Can have tissue abnormalities in the heart, aorta, lungs, eyes, and skeleton.
– Can have loose, flexible skin and joints
– An inherited disorder of elastin
The classic immune-related connective tissue diseases include:
Symptoms of Connective Tissue Disorder:
Symptoms will depend upon the type of illness associated. Some symptoms include:
Diagnosing Connective Tissue Disorder
Connective tissue disorders are diagnosed when patients demonstrate the clinical features (exam findings) of overlap illnesses (as described above) and have high amounts of the antibodies ANA and anti-RNP in their blood
Treating Connective Tissue Disorder
Again, treatment will depend on the type of illness within CTD that is being treated. Therapies must be targeted for each of the organ systems affected. In general, treatment is often directed at suppressing the inflammation present in the tissues by using anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive medications.
Complications of Connective Tissue Disorder:
Complications of connective tissue disease are secondary conditions, symptoms, or other disorders that are caused by connective tissue disease. In many cases the distinction between symptoms of connective tissue disease and complications of connective tissue disease is unclear.
Prognosis of Connective Tissue Disorder:
The prognosis for patients who have connective tissue disease varies from a benign course to severe progressive disease. In approximately one third of patients the clinical symptoms go into long-term remission.
One third of patients have a severe, progressive disease course. Persistent morbidity often is attributable to arthritis, easy fatiguability, and dyspnea on exertion.
The most severe clinical manifestation is pulmonary hypertension which contributes to premature death in patients with conntective tissue disorders.