Mixed Connective Tissue Disease
(MCTD)
Other Names: Sharp's Syndrome, Undifferentiated Connective
Tissue Disease, Commonly referred to as an “Overlapping
Disease”
Mixed Connective Tissue Disease
is an uncommon autoimmune disease involving the connective
tissues that make up the support for your body's structure.
Connective tissues include skin, muscle, cartilage,
tendons, ligaments, and fat to name a few.MCTD is
actually a generalized diagnosis that is made up of
a few overlapping connective tissue autoimmune diseases.
The term Mixed Connective Tissue Disease is usually
diagnosed when none of the symptoms or signs of one
of the connective tissue diseases is not prominent
enough to diagnose just one connective tissue disease
(hence the term mixed connective tissue).
The most common connective tissue diseases involved
in MCTD include:
Scleroderma
Myositis
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Some of the initial symptoms of MCTD might include
joint pain, swelling, malaise (generally just not
feeling well), dry skin, muscle inflammation and thickening
of the skin on the pads of your fingers. You may also
experience Raynaud's Phenomenon for months to years
before any symptoms begin to develop.
Usually not all of the symptoms will develop at once.
It's a slow, progressive disease that can take months
to years to develop to a point where doctors can pinpoint
and diagnose the disease. As time passes, more signs
and symptoms will develop and eventually one of the
connective tissue diseases may become dominant enough
for a conclusive diagnosis. In other cases, that may
never be possible and the diagnosis of MCTD will stay
the final diagnosis.
MCTD most commonly strikes women in there 20-30's,
however children have also been known to develop the
disease. Left untreated, MCTD can cause complications
ranging from pulmonary hypertension, heart disease,
pregnancy complications and of course side effects
from medications used to treat MCTD.
Symptoms:
Abdominal cramps
Abdominal pain
Abdominal tenderness
Difficulty chewing
Difficulty swallowing
Dry cough
Frequent heartburn
General joint pain and stiffness
Hoarse voice
Pain in hips
Rash across nose and cheeks
Shoulder pain
Swelling in hands and fingers
Swollen lymph nodes
Unusual hair loss in small patches
Diagnosis:
If a doctor suspects MCTD, a thorough exam and symptom
medical review will be performed. Blood tests may
also show:
Positive Lupus Anticoagulant Antibody
Elevated Small Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein 70kDa Polypeptide
Positive Anti-Nuclear Antibody
Positive Anti-Phospholipid Antibody
Positive Rheumatoid Factor
Elevated Rheumatoid Factor Quantity
Low Total Serum Iron
Elevated Anti-Ribonucleoprotein Antibody
Imaging (X-rays, CT Scans and MRI among others) may
also be used to determine damage being done to tissues
and organs
Treatment:
There is no cure for MCTD and mild forms of it may
not need treatment at all. Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatories
such as Naproxen and Ibuprofen may be used to reduce
inflammation. Patients not responding to NSAID's or
not able to tolerate NSAID's due to stomach conditions,
bouts of Corticosteroids may be used to reduce inflammation
and the immune response.
Immunosuppressant therapy may also be used to reduce
the immune response causing the healthy tissue to
be attacked, and many of the therapy options used
to treat Scleroderma, Myositis, SLE and Rheumatoid
Arthritis may also be used to treat MCTD.
Prognosis:
With proper treatment, support and lifestyle adjustments,
the prognosis of MCTD is relatively good. It is important
to follow your therapy and find support, especially
when the disease is active, whether it includes medication
or alternative medicine. Properly caring for yourself
can improve the quality of life for MCTD sufferers.
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