This is the first in a series of posts about diseases that are either very similar to, or often associated with, lupus. I plan to cover both Raynaud’s and Sjögren's syndromes in subsequent posts.
Diagnosing Difficult Cases
While it would be nice to say that each autoimmune disease has separate and distinct symptoms, the fact is that there is a great deal of overlap between them. This makes diagnosing diseases quite difficult. If I have enough symptoms to be diagnosed with lupus but I also have symptoms more commonly seen in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) should I also be diagnosed with RA? Would it be better for my doctor to say instead that I just have unusual lupus symptoms? And if RA and lupus are treated the same way, does it even matter?
The fact is that biology doesn’t conform well to hard and fast rules. The immune system is particularly difficult this way; I used to tell my undergraduate immunology students that every rule they learned in class would have an exception somewhere. Since the immune system itself doesn’t follow strict rules, it should come as no great surprise that autoimmune diseases don’t either. I regard autoimmune diseases as being points on a continuum, rather than existing as discrete entities. These diseases all share in common the fact that the immune system has lost the ability to tell whether various tissues in the body are part of the body or whether they are invading germs. Specific autoimmune diseases are diagnosed depending on which parts of the body are being attacked, and by which parts of the immune system are doing the attacking.
Most people with autoimmune diseases have enough symptoms specific to a specific disease to receive a specific diagnosis. But for some, their symptoms really don’t fit neatly into a disease category. These people are often diagnosed with Mixed Connective Tissue Disorder, or MCTD. It is not uncommon for people with MCTD to initially be diagnosed with, for example, lupus. Often it takes time for distinctly non-lupus like symptoms to appear. Only after it is clear that the symptoms do not all fit into one disease that a doctor will give the MCTD diagnosis.
What is connective tissue, anyway?
Connective tissues are the tissues and structures in the body that serve to, you guessed it, connect different parts of the body. Tendons and ligaments are perhaps the most commonly known forms of connective tissue, but there are others. Even blood can be considered connective tissue, since it does connect and support various different organs.
Because there are so many different kinds of connective tissue, connective tissue diseases can manifest themselves in all sorts of different ways. Some people experience joint pain as the tendons keeping the joints together get attacked by the immune system. Others may have muscle problems as various muscles in the body are damaged by the immune system.
Connective tissue literally holds the body together. This is why connective tissue diseases are so serious, and why they are treated with powerful immunosuppressants or corticosteroids.
UCTD vs MCTD?
There is some debate as to whether MCTD is the same thing as Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disorder (UCTD). I’m going to use the Mayo Clinic’s classification, which says that the two are different.
UCTD:
The American College of Rheumatology has (somewhat arbitrarily, in my personal opinion), come up with a list of eleven symptoms that are used to diagnose lupus. Generally, a patient needs to experience at least four of the eleven symptoms to receive a formal diagnosis of systemic lupus. This can lead to a diagnostic dilemma: How should a physician diagnose somebody who has at least one, but fewer than four, symptoms?
The answer, for many physicians, is to give a diagnosis of UTCD. It is often followed by a more specific diagnosis, once more symptoms have appeared. The UCTD diagnosis is generally the physician’s way of saying, “This patient has symptoms of an autoimmune disorder, but I can’t quite classify it as a specific disease yet.” UCTD patients are often, although not always, diagnosed with lupus later on.
The answer, for many physicians, is to give a diagnosis of UTCD. It is often followed by a more specific diagnosis, once more symptoms have appeared. The UCTD diagnosis is generally the physician’s way of saying, “This patient has symptoms of an autoimmune disorder, but I can’t quite classify it as a specific disease yet.” UCTD patients are often, although not always, diagnosed with lupus later on.
MCTD:
MCTD is a smorgasbord (or “overlap” if you want to be more technical) disease. It manifests in a variety of ways common to lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, polymyositis and scleroderma. Like lupus, it can lead to serious problems. For example, inflammation from both diseases may lead to heart disease and/or other cardiac complications. Lupus and MCTD can also both lead to Raynaud’s disease, a condition in which blood vessels prevent blood flow to the hands and feet.
The difference between the lupus and MCTD is hazy at best. Symptoms of lupus can be present in MCTD as well. However, not all MCTD symptoms fit into the lupus definition. If someone who was diagnosed as having lupus starts showing signs of, for example, unusual connective tissue growth (which is more common to scleroderma), (s)he may be rediagnosed as having MCTD. The new diagnosis is broader, and allows for symptoms from several related diseases.
So which is more serious, lupus or MTCD?
It’s impossible to say. Both diseases describe such a wide variety of symptoms and a huge amount of variation between patients that ranking one over the other is impossible. My personal belief is that it’s a tie. Both cause inflammation, both are treated with similar drugs, and both can cause everything from a minor to fatal illnesses.
The take home message? Autoimmune diseases suck, but at least they suck in a variety of strange and unusual ways.
Additional legal notes:
1) Much of the information presented here is from the mayo clinic and the ACR. Links are provided in the text.
2) My usual disclaimer applies. I am not a physician, nor can I promise that my brain fog will allow me to write without making mistakes. Please do not ever use my explanations as a substitute for talking to your doctor!
1) Much of the information presented here is from the mayo clinic and the ACR. Links are provided in the text.
2) My usual disclaimer applies. I am not a physician, nor can I promise that my brain fog will allow me to write without making mistakes. Please do not ever use my explanations as a substitute for talking to your doctor!
ha! your take home message made me laugh :)
ReplyDeletelooking forward to reading more of your blog...
--kristin
(lupus and other myriad of joyous health crap)
Great Article Artificial Intelligence Projects
DeleteProject Center in Chennai
JavaScript Training in Chennai
JavaScript Training in Chennai
Being a scientist makes lupus more interesting, but also more frustrating. No matter how many long, thoughtful discussions I have with my immune system, it still won't do what I want! Very unreasonable of it, I feel.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info, I have UCTD,Fibromyalgia,DJD,Osteoarthritis, hx of 3 neck surgeries, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome,Hypothyroid,GERD,just wish I could get my life back the way it used to be before I got sick? But, just have to take it one day at a time.
ReplyDeleteI had surgery on both my wrists for carpal tunnel last year. I found that the surgery helped a lot. As for everything else...well, as you say, one day at a time.
DeleteI have recently been told I have Lupus but I have to wait until nov to be seen that is so bad. I am thinking about what I should do. I want to go back to work. I am thinking about going to er to see someone there. Does anyone have views on this
ReplyDeleteI'm in the same dilemma right now. I have to wait over two months to be seen by a specialist. My plan is to see if things get really bad, then go into the ER. In the meantime I'm calling doctors and yelling at them, and keeping the appointment in a couple months.
DeleteHi there it's me, I am also visiting this web page daily, this web page is really pleasant and
ReplyDeletethe people are in fact sharing pleasant thoughts.
my weblog: Low T Symptoms
Wonderful blog you have here but I was curious about if you knew of any community forums that cover the
ReplyDeletesame topics discussed here? I'd really like to be a part of group where I can get comments
from other experienced people that share the same interest.
If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Cheers!
Check out my homepage ... minneapolis web design seo
Sorry for the delay; my spam filter blocked your comment. I would suggest going to Facebook and looking for a MCTD/UCTD/Lupus group. I've met great people that way. I can't send you a link because I'm on my work computer and cannot access Facebook.
DeleteRidiculous quest there. What happened after?
ReplyDeleteTake care!
Visit my blog ... Green Mountain Coffee Announces Stock Offering
Interested in seeking a support group for Connective Tissue/Lupus symptoms in the Long Island, NY area. TY!
ReplyDeleteSeptember 21, 2014.
I heard there is support program at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteVery nice article!
ReplyDeleteTOSHIBA PVM-375AT
Thank you for a great laugh. I was just diagnosed with UCTD after over a year of chasing my tail. My doctors had an extra hard time due to the fact that I am a Triple Negative Breast Cancer Survivor. Having a sense of humor is the key to life!
ReplyDeleteUse this article to increase your knowledge . menggugurkan kandungan
ReplyDeleteklg tangerang
ReplyDeletemembesarkan penis secara alami
testimoni pelanggan klg pills usa
khasiat klg pills obat pembesar penis
Jual Obat Aborsi, Obat Penggugur Kandungan Ampuh
ReplyDeleteObat Aborsi, Obat Penggugur kandungan
Jual Obat Aborsi, Obat Penggugur Kandungan, Jual Obat Aborsi Tuntas, Jual Obat Aborsi Ampuh
I love to see you have written this content very Well and want to write more so people will aware of this issue
ReplyDeleteI have some favorite game Blogs as well like
||Happy Wheels at happywheels.in||
||Happy wheels game at classic happy wheels game||
||Happy Wheels demo at happy wheels||
||Fireboy and watergirl at fireboywatergirl.co||
Jual Obat Aborsi ,
ReplyDeleteKlinik Aborsi Tuntas ,
Jual Obat Penggugur Kandungan ,
Obat Penggugur Janin ,
Obat Aborsi ,
ReplyDeleteCara Menggugurkan Kandungan ,
Obat Penggugur Kandungan ,
Jual Obat Aborsi ,
Hey Very Nice Blog!!! Thanks For Sharing!!!!
ReplyDeleteclipping path
clipping path service
remove white background
raster to vector
These hazard variables may either be something which can't be changed, for example, family history, sex, or nearness of a specific quality, or ones which can be changed, for example, the propensity for smoking or having hypertension. Healthpally
ReplyDeleteAn fascinating discussion is value comment. I think that it is best to write extra on this matter, it won’t be a taboo topic however generally people are not enough to talk on such topics. To the next. Cheers facial tissue machine
ReplyDeleteCase finding is a strategy for targeting resources at individuals or groups who are suspected to be at particular risk of a disease. It involves actively searching systematically for high-risk people, rather than waiting for them to present themselves to medical attention after symptoms or signs of active disease have occurred.crohns disease
ReplyDeleteI thank you for the information and articles you provided
ReplyDeleteHello ^^
ReplyDeleteThe season when the car winds are back.
Are you all working hard to prepare for your visit to Korea? Beware of colds and beware of corona
I came in to see your site and I liked a lot of useful and good content!
I also run a site, so will you come and see it?
I think I would be very grateful for your feedback. Bye^^
My site address: 토토사이트
y8
ReplyDeleteคาสิโนออนไลน์
ReplyDeleteYour blog is too much amazing. I have found with ease what I was looking. Moreover, the content quality is awesome. Thanks for the nudge! 먹튀검증
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your effort in helping people get the information they need 먹튀
ReplyDeleteI am happy to find this post very useful for me, as it contains lot of information. I always prefer to read the quality content and this thing I found in you post. Thanks for sharing 먹튀검증업체
ReplyDeleteI'm really enjoying the design and layout of your site. It's a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more pleasant for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a developer to create your theme? Superb work! 메이저놀이터
ReplyDeleteI can set up my new idea from this post. It gives in depth information. Thanks for this valuable information for all buy web traffic
ReplyDeleteThis is very educational content and written well for a change. It's nice to see that some people still understand how to write a quality post.! 먹튀폴리스
ReplyDelete❤ I favor the idea, such a good deal 먹튀검증
ReplyDeletePlease take good care of me from now on.Thank you 토토사이트
ReplyDeleteIt's soon enough to get a lot of information. I'm too happy to express it. 먹튀검증
ReplyDeleteIt's always a pleasure to read your magnificent articles on this site. 파워볼사이트
ReplyDeleteI'm writing on this form, so I hope to see you. 메이저놀이터
ReplyDeleteI'm too happy to express it. 토토사이트
ReplyDeleteleak number all game record charts. 해외스포츠중계
ReplyDeleteI have been on the look out for such great information. 바카라사이트
ReplyDeleteMy site has a discussion board for articles and photos similar to this topic. 토토사이트
ReplyDeleterastgele görüntülü konuşma - kredi hesaplama - instagram video indir - instagram takipçi satın al - instagram takipçi satın al - tiktok takipçi satın al - instagram takipçi satın al - instagram beğeni satın al - instagram takipçi satın al - instagram takipçi satın al - instagram takipçi satın al - instagram takipçi satın al - binance güvenilir mi - binance güvenilir mi - binance güvenilir mi - binance güvenilir mi - instagram beğeni satın al - instagram beğeni satın al - polen filtresi - google haritalara yer ekleme - btcturk güvenilir mi - binance hesap açma - kuşadası kiralık villa - tiktok izlenme satın al - instagram takipçi satın al - sms onay - paribu sahibi - binance sahibi - btcturk sahibi - paribu ne zaman kuruldu - binance ne zaman kuruldu - btcturk ne zaman kuruldu - youtube izlenme satın al - torrent oyun - google haritalara yer ekleme - altyapısız internet - bedava internet - no deposit bonus forex - erkek spor ayakkabı - webturkey.net - karfiltre.com - tiktok jeton hilesi - tiktok beğeni satın al - microsoft word indir - misli indir
ReplyDeleteThis site contains a lot of really good information. Lots of useful inaformation. I'll add it to my bookmarks and stop by often.
ReplyDelete메이저놀이터
Thank you again for all the knowledge you distribute,Good post. I was very interested in the article, it's quite inspiring I should admit. I like visiting you site since I always come across interesting articles like this one.Great Job, I greatly appreciate that.Do Keep sharing! Regards 슬롯사이트
ReplyDeletewww.escortsmate.com
ReplyDeleteescortsmate.com
https://www.escortsmate.com
Nice blog. Thanks for sharing this post.
ReplyDeleteClipping Path Service Provider
ReplyDeleteThanks for your marvelous posting! I actually enjoyed reading it, you could be
a great author.I will remember to bookmark your blog and will
eventually come back from now on. I want to encourage you to continue your great
writing, have a nice weekend!
Website:カジノ
This site seems to inspire me a lot. Thank you so much for organizing and providing this quality information in an easy to understand way. I think that a healthy era of big data can be maintained only when such high-quality information is continuously produced. And I, too, are working hard to organize and provide such high-quality information. It would be nice to come in once and get information.
ReplyDeleteAlso visit my site:토토사이트
thanks great article HDE Bilişim
ReplyDeleteAlışveriş
Compo Expert
Multitek
Seokoloji
Vezir Sosyal Medya
Adak
Maltepe Adak
Mua vé tại Aivivu, tham khảo
ReplyDeletevé máy bay đi Mỹ bao nhiêu tiền
bán vé máy bay từ mỹ về việt nam
lịch bay từ canada về việt nam
các chuyến bay từ nhật bản về hà nội hôm nay
Các chuyến bay từ Incheon về Hà Nội hôm nay
Vé máy bay từ Đài Loan về Việt Nam
ve may bay chuyen gia sang Viet Nam
eskişehir
ReplyDeleteizmir
muğla
yalova
çanakkale
düzce
antalya
aydın
mate
tiktok jeton hilesi
ReplyDeletetiktok jeton hilesi
binance referans kimliği
gate güvenilir mi
tiktok jeton hilesi
paribu
btcturk
bitcoin nasıl alınır
yurtdışı kargo
seo fiyatları
ReplyDeletesaç ekimi
dedektör
instagram takipçi satın al
ankara evden eve nakliyat
fantezi iç giyim
sosyal medya yönetimi
mobil ödeme bozdurma
kripto para nasıl alınır
İnstagram takipçi satın al! İnstagram takipçi sitesi ile takipçi satın al sende sosyal medyada fenomen olmaya bir adım at. Sende hemen instagram takipçi satın almak istiyorsan tıkla:
ReplyDelete1- takipçi satın al
2- takipçi satın al
3- takipçi satın al
Hello, I'm happy to see some great articles on your site. Would you like to come to my site later? My site also has posts, comments and communities similar to yours. Please visit and take a look 토토사이트
ReplyDeleteinstagram beğeni satın al
ReplyDeleteyurtdışı kargo
seo fiyatları
saç ekimi
dedektör
fantazi iç giyim
sosyal medya yönetimi
farmasi üyelik
mobil ödeme bozdurma
bitcoin nasıl alınır
ReplyDeletetiktok jeton hilesi
youtube abone satın al
gate io güvenilir mi
referans kimliği nedir
tiktok takipçi satın al
bitcoin nasıl alınır
mobil ödeme bozdurma
mobil ödeme bozdurma
Good content. You write beautiful things.
ReplyDeletetaksi
korsan taksi
vbet
mrbahis
sportsbet
vbet
sportsbet
hacklink
mrbahis
thanks for sharing this is very helpful
ReplyDeletebetmatik
kralbet
betpark
tipobet
slot siteleri
kibris bahis siteleri
poker siteleri
bonus veren siteler
mobil ödeme bahis
O336