Shedding Light on Mixed Connective Tissue Disease
Navigating Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD): Understanding the Overlapping Symptoms
Unraveling the Complexity of MCTD and Its Impact on Diagnosis and Treatment
Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD) is a rare form of autoimmune ailment with an incidence rate of somewhere between 0.2 to 1.9 individuals out of 100,000 adults globally. This disorder combines several other rheumatologic disorders (called connective tissue disease), including Lupus, Scleroderma, and Polymyositis. Each of these components harbors its particular signs and symptoms. Although it would be out of the scope of this article to dive into the details of each coexisting disease, we need to remember that MCTD is also called “Overlap Disease.”
As the given names imply, an individual suffering from MCTD harbors overlapping symptoms and signs of the spectrum of various conditions.
To understand the chronic nature of MCTD, consider it a “medical Venn diagram” where several diseases intersect, and the Overlap Disease sits at the intersection.
