Connective Tissue Disorders
Original Editor - Lucinda hampton
Top Contributors - Lucinda hampton, Elaine Lonnemann and Admin
Introduction[edit | edit source]
The connective tissue disorders (CTDs) form a large heterogeneous group of conditions that are linked by a disease process that primarily involves the connective soft tissues of the body and often the vasculature too, due to shared structural proteins, such as collagen and elastin.[1]
Diseases of the connective tissue can be divided into
- A group of relatively uncommon genetic disorders that affect the primary structure of connective tissue eg Marfan syndrome, homocystinuria, and osteogenesis imperfecta.
- A number of acquired disorders in which the connective tissues are the site of several more or less distinctive immunological and inflammatory reactions eg rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatic fever, and osteoarthritis[2].
Anatomy & Physiology[edit | edit source]
A “tissue” in simple terms is a collection of similar cells. The human body is basically made of four different types of tissues.
- Epithelial tissue
- Connective tissue - the most abundant and diverse type of animal tissue
- Muscular tissue
- Nervous tissue.
Similar to a framework of a house, connective tissue serves to provide structure, support, and protection throughout the human body.[3]
Connective tissue is an umbrella that encompasses a variety of tissue types, including loose and dense connective tissue, adipose, cartilage, bone, and blood. Although connective tissue is diverse, all connective tissue consists of three main components:
- Ground substance
- Fibers
- Cells
Together, the ground substance and fibers make up the extracellular matrix, which is the structural support of surrounding cells throughout the body. The composition of the extracellular matrix varies tremendously from organ to organ, which allows for the diverse types of connective tissue
Hereditary Disorders Of Connective Tissue[edit | edit source]
Hereditary disorders of connective tissue are a heterogeneous group of generalized single-gene-determined disorders that affect one or another of the primary elements of the connective tissues (collagen, elastin, or ground substance [glycosaminoglycans]). Many cause skeletal and joint abnormalities that may interfere seriously with normal growth and development. These conditions are rare compared with the acquired connective tissue diseases.[2]
Acquired Diseases Of Connective Tissue[edit | edit source]
The acquired connective tissue diseases display certain common clinical features, including inflammation of the joints (polyarthralgia and arthritis), serous (fluid-exuding) membranes (pleurisy and pericarditis), and small blood vessels (vasculitis) and a high frequency of involvement of various internal organs that are particularly rich in connective tissue (e.g., the lungs). The walls of inflamed blood vessels, portions of which may become necrotic, are often found to contain characteristic deposits of hyaline (translucent) material called fibrinoid[2].
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References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Radiopedia CTD's Available from: https://radiopaedia.org/articles/connective-tissue-disease?lang=us(last accessed 21.2.2021)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Britannica CTD Available from: https://www.britannica.com/science/connective-tissue-disease(accessed 21.2.2021)
- ↑ Nezwek TA, Varacallo M. Physiology, Connective Tissue. StatPearls [Internet]. 2020 Aug 16.Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK542226/(accessed 21.2.2021)
