Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffMixed connective tissue disease features signs and symptoms of a combination of disorders — primarily of lupus, scleroderma and polymyositis. For this reason, mixed connective tissue disease is sometimes referred to as an overlap disease.
In mixed connective tissue disease, the symptoms of the separate diseases usually don't appear all at once. Instead, they tend to occur in sequence over a number of years, which can make diagnosis more complicated.
Early signs and symptoms often involve the hands. Fingers may swell up like sausages, and the fingertips might turn white and become numb. In later stages, some organs — such as the lungs, heart and kidneys — may be affected.
Mixed connective tissue disease occurs most commonly in young women. Treatment often includes drugs such as prednisone.
- Firestein GS, et al. Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208746819-6/0/1807/0.html. Accessed March 23, 2012.
- Ortega-Hernandez OD, et al. Mixed connective tissue disease: An overview of clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment. Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology. 2012;26:61.
- Bennett RM. Clinical manifestations of mixed connective tissue disease. http://www.uptodate.com/index.html. Accessed March 23, 2012.
- Mixed connective tissue disease. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/musculoskeletal_and_connective_tissue_disorders/autoimmune_rheumatic_disorders/mixed_connective_tissue_disease_mctd.html?qt=mixed connective&alt=sh. Accessed March 23, 2012.
- Saag KG, et al. Major side effects of systemic glucocorticoids. http://www.uptodate.com/index.html. Accessed March 23, 2012.
- Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2012: 5 Books in 1. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05611-3..C2009-0-38601-8--TOP&isbn=978-0-323-05611-3&uniqId=291436269-101. Accessed March 23, 2012.
- Bennett RM. Prognosis and treatment of mixed connective tissue disease. http://www.uptodate.com/index.html. Accessed March 23, 2012.
Find Mayo Clinic on