What is connective tissue disease?
Connective tissue disease affects the tissues that support and connect different parts of your body, like joints, skin, and organs. These tissues include cartilage, tendons, and skin, holding them in place.
Lupus is one type of connective tissue disease. It's an autoimmune condition, which Show Full Answer
What is connective tissue disease?
Connective tissue disease affects the tissues that support and connect different parts of your body, like joints, skin, and organs. These tissues include cartilage, tendons, and skin, holding them in place.
Lupus is one type of connective tissue disease. It's an autoimmune condition, which means your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells, including your connective tissues.
Other connective tissue diseases that can overlap with lupus include:
- Scleroderma
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD)
- Undifferentiated connective tissue disease
Some people have symptoms of multiple connective tissue diseases at the same time. When this happens, doctors may refer to it as an overlap syndrome or mixed connective tissue disease.
If you have symptoms that don't fit clearly into one specific diagnosis like lupus, your rheumatologist might use the term "undifferentiated connective tissue disease." This doesn't mean your doctor doesn't understand what's happening - it just means your symptoms don't fit neatly into a single category yet.
November 12, 2025
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