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Good Morning ! October 3 rd , 2011. Mixed Connective Tissue Disease. An overlap syndrome associated with anti-U1-RNP (ribonucleic protein) antibodies with features of SLE, scleroderma, and polymyositis
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Good Morning ! October 3rd, 2011
Mixed Connective Tissue Disease • An overlap syndrome associated with anti-U1-RNP (ribonucleic protein) antibodies with features of SLE, scleroderma, and polymyositis • In early stages, cannot be differentiated from the other connective tissue diseases (SLE, Scl, PM, DM, RA, and Sjogren’s)
Is MCTD a specific disease? • Early symptoms • Easy fatigability • Poorly defined myalgias • Arthralgias • Raynaud phenomenon
Major reason to consider MCTD a distinct entitiy • For patients with high RNP antibodies: • Seldom develop glomerulonephritis, cerebritis, psychosis, or seizures • Nearly always have development of Raynaud phenomenon • More likely to develop pulmonary hypertension • More likely to be RF positive (in 70%) and develop erosive arthritis
Clinical features • 4 features that suggest MCTD rather than another disorder: • Raynaud and swollen hands • Absence of renal and CNS disease • More severe arthritis • PHTN • RNP antibodies • More common in women (16:1) • Present in 2nd or 3rd decade
Clinical features (cont.) • Skin manifestations • Discoid plaques and malar rash • Fever of unknown origin • Arthritis is severe
Clinical features (cont.) • Myositis and myalgia • Cardiac disease • RVH • Right atrial enlargement • Conduction defects • Pericarditis (10 to 30%)
Clinical features (cont.) • Pulmonary involvement (75%) • Effusions • PHTN • Screen for with echo • Interstitial lung disease (30 to 50%) • See septal thickening, ground-glass opacities, nonseptal linear opacities, and lower lobe predominance on CT scan • Infections • Vasculitis
Clinical features (cont.) • Absence of severe renal disease • High titers of RNP antibodies may be protective • GI involvement in 60 to 80% • Hypomotility • Serositis • Mesenteric vasculitis • Pancreatitis • CNS • Trigeminal neuropathy • Headaches
Lab abnormalities • Low grade anemia • Leukopenia • Hypergammaglobulinemia • RF positive • Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibodies • + ANA • RNP antibodies
Treatment • Thought to be incurable • Some features are responsive to glucocorticoids • Antimalrials or methotrexate should be used in patients requiring repeated or ongoing steroids • Treat specific features (NSAIDS for arthritis, etc.)
Prognosis • Mortality is 16 to 18% at 10 to 12 years • Major cause of death is progressive pulmonary hypertension
Noon Conference Radiology