In modern medicine, the diagnosis of collagenosis is often found. What it is? In fact, this term combines dozens of different diseases that have one thing in common - changes in connective tissue, in particular, fibrinoid lesions of collagen.
Of course, the diagnosis of systemic collagenosis drives patients into panic. Therefore, first you should learn more about such diseases and their features. What ailments are included in the group of collagenoses? What are the causes of their occurrence? What symptoms should I look for? Is it possible to get rid of collagen diseases forever? What forecasts do doctors give? Many people are looking for answers to these questions.
Collagenosis: what is it?
Connective tissue, as you know, is a kind of building material for the body. For example, it forms the skeleton and skin of a person, the walls of blood vessels, the stroma of internal organs, and also fills the gaps between different structures. It is this tissue that makes up more than half of the human body mass. Connective tissue elements perform a number of important functions, including trophic, protective, structural, supporting and plastic. It is connective tissue diseases that are combined under the term “collagenosis”.
What it is? This is a group of pathologies that have common signs and a development mechanism. Diseases develop against a background of impaired immune homeostasis and are accompanied by fibrinoid changes in collagen.
Types of Collagen Diseases
A variety of collagenoses are known to modern medicine. Their classification is based on the origin of the disease. For example, diffuse connective tissue diseases can be congenital. This group includes Stickler and Marfan syndromes, as well as mucopolysaccharidoses and imperfect osteogenesis. Symptoms of them, as a rule, appear even in the period of intrauterine development.
There are also acquired diseases that appear after birth - sometimes in childhood or adolescence, and sometimes already in adulthood. This group of pathologies includes systemic vasculitis, scroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatism, eosinus fasciitis, periarteritis nodosa, and many others.
The main causes of the development of the disease
Congenital cases of the disease are associated with genetic metabolic disorders and collagen structure. As for the acquired forms of the disease, here the causes can be very diverse, and studies of the mechanism of development of pathologies are still underway.
Scientists are inclined to believe that a certain genetic heredity exists in almost every case. But many factors can provoke diseases. For example, the trigger is often the penetration of viral and bacterial infections into the body, including pathogens of mumps, herpes, measles rubella, etc.
The reasons may be hormonal bursts, which are observed during puberty, during pregnancy and menopause, after abortion, etc. There are other factors under the influence of which the disease develops. Collagenosis can be triggered by severe stress, trauma, medication, severe hypothermia, insolation. Sometimes the disease develops after vaccinations.
Pathogenesis of the disease
Despite the variety of diseases of this group, in almost every case, the pathology develops according to the same pattern. Under the influence of one or another factor, the sensitization of the immune system occurs, as a result of which specific protein complexes are formed, which then settle on the serous and synovial membranes, and vascular membranes. The presence of immune complexes provokes allergic tissue inflammation. Thus, the human immune system begins to attack its own connective tissue.
Against the background of the above processes, pathomorphological changes in tissues are observed. Of course, each type of collagenosis has specific features. For example, in scleroderma, an autoimmune inflammatory process affects the skin tissue and subcutaneous tissue, and nodular periarthritis is characterized by a change in blood vessels.
Collagenoses: photo and general clinical picture
What does the clinical picture look like? What are the signs of collagenosis? Symptoms, of course, will differ depending on the type of ailment and the location of the inflammatory process. Nevertheless, some common features can be highlighted.
Patients have a persistent increase in body temperature up to 38 degrees. Patients complain of chills and excessive sweating. Weakness and decreased performance. In almost any form of collagenosis, a joint-muscular syndrome develops, which is characterized by joint pain, myalgia and arthralgia. Allergic reactions, the appearance of rashes on the skin, abdominal pain, and digestive disorders are sometimes observed.
Periarteritis nodosa and its features
Collagenoses are diverse in nature, so it is worth considering the most characteristic and severe varieties. Periarteritis nodosa is characterized by damage to all three layers of the vascular wall. Almost all the vessels of the body are involved in the inflammatory process.
Symptoms depend on which arteries and veins were affected. If we are talking about the vessels of the kidneys, then patients primarily notice lower back pain, impaired urine outflow. Hypertension and progressive renal failure are observed. With inflammation of the walls of the cerebral vessels, the patient develops various mental disorders. A quarter of patients with nodular periarthritis have bronchial asthma.
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Lupus erythematosus is a severe systemic collagenosis. What it is? This is a disease that is accompanied by damage to almost all organ systems. Reddish foci of inflammation appear on the skin (on the face they have a very characteristic location in the cheeks and nose, which resembles butterfly wings).
Damage to nails and hair is observed, ulcers and erosion appear on the mucous membranes. Small joints are involved in the inflammatory process. The disease is accompanied by disorders of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Pathologies of the kidneys and the appearance of neurological symptoms are observed.
Systemic scleroderma
Scleroderma is another autoimmune disease in which the inflammatory process affects the skin, subcutaneous tissue, peripheral vessels, joints and muscles. In this case, the most obvious symptoms are precisely skin changes. First, swelling of the skin is observed. The dermis acquires a pale or, conversely, red hue. At the second stage of the disease, the edema becomes very dense, the patient's skin is smooth and dry, adhesions are formed with the underlying tissues.
The third stage is accompanied by atrophy of the skin and subcutaneous tissues. The body of a sick person is exhausted, the fingers are gradually deformed, the face takes on the appearance of a mask due to the disappearance of facial expressions.
Diagnostic process
How to diagnose collagenosis? The defeat of various organs is accompanied by the appearance of very characteristic symptoms, to which the specialist draws attention while communicating with the patient and collecting an anamnesis. Further, various laboratory tests are performed. In particular, the blood of a sick person is checked for the presence of non-specific markers of inflammation, namely: fibrinogen, C-reactive protein, alpha-2-globulins. A study is also being conducted on the presence in the body of immunological markers that are specific for each individual disease.
Often, in order to fully assess the condition of the patient, a biopsy is performed. Samples of muscle tissue, skin, kidneys, synovial membrane of joints are taken for analysis.
There are instrumental studies that help identify a disease such as collagenosis. Diagnosis includes x-ray examination of joints and bones. In the pictures, the doctor may notice the characteristic signs of some lesions of the connective tissue, including osteoporosis, a change in the articular surfaces and their aseptic necrosis, narrowing of the joint spaces, etc.
Since collagenoses are often accompanied by damage to internal organs, an ultrasound examination of the organs of the abdominal cavity, kidneys, pleural cavity, and heart (echocardiography) is an important procedure. Additionally, computed or magnetic resonance imaging is prescribed, which allows you to assess the condition of the body, as well as damage to internal organs and the skeleton.
Medical treatment of collagen diseases
What therapy do collagenoses require? Treatment of diseases of this group must be comprehensive. The treatment regimen is compiled individually, as it depends on the form and stage of development of the disease, the presence of concomitant diseases, and the age of the patient.
Since in case of collagenoses inflammatory lesions of the connective tissue structures are observed, then, first of all, anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed to patients. In the early stages of development, non-steroidal medications are effective, in particular those that contain ibuprofen.
In cases where the disease progresses very quickly, glucocorticosteroid drugs with more pronounced anti-inflammatory properties are introduced into the treatment regimen. As a rule, Prednisoloneum is used (the maximum daily dose makes no more than 15 mg).
Good results are given by treatment with cytostatic drugs (Azathioprine, Cyclofofamide). Such therapy is carried out if the use of steroids did not give the expected effect or caused serious adverse reactions.
Treatment of the disease during an exacerbation is carried out in a hospital. The patient is discharged from the hospital only after he can cope with the main symptoms. It is very important to adhere to the correct mode of work and rest, as well as monitor nutrition, not only during the period of exacerbation, but throughout life.
Other therapies
What other treatments do collagenoses require? Treatment is necessary not only during an exacerbation, but also during the relative well-being of the body. In order to slow down the development of the disease, methods of hemocorrection, in particular hemosorption and plasmapheresis, are used. Physiotherapy is also recommended for some patients. Quite good results can be achieved using regular courses of magnetotherapy, drug electrophoresis, ultraphonophoresis.
With rheumatoid arthritis and a number of other diseases, physiotherapy exercises will be useful, which will help maintain normal mobility. Patients are recommended regular spa treatment in institutions of the appropriate profile. In some collagen diseases, radon, hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide baths give a good effect. Of course, the doctor determines the treatment regimen depending on the variety of the disease, the age and condition of the sick person.
Preventive measures and prognoses for patients
Collagenosis disease (any of its varieties) is characterized by a progressive, chronic course. Drug therapy makes it possible to reduce the manifestations of the disease and achieve a more or less prolonged remission. Nevertheless, it is almost impossible to completely stop the disease. Especially dangerous are systemic collagenoses, which often end in the development of acute respiratory or heart failure.
The intake of hormones and immunomodulators is certainly important. But patients should monitor the state of health during the period of remission, as this will help delay a new exacerbation. Patients are advised to avoid exposure to precipitating factors, be it severe stress and hormonal disruptions or severe hypothermia and excessive insolation. If you have any infectious disease, you need to urgently consult a doctor. Foci of chronic inflammation should also respond to adequate therapy.