Any one of a group of diseases that are characterized by degenerative changes in collagen, the principal component of connective tissue. Collagen diseases, which affect any part of the body in which collagen is found, include dermatomyositis, lupus erythematosus, and polyarteritis nodosa.
A group of diseases affecting connective tissue. The term is really outdated since there is no evidence that collagen is primarily involved. Fibrinoid necrosis and vasculitis are two ‘characteristics, and autoimmunity reaction may occur in the connective tissue. The latter affects blood vessels and causes secondary damage in the connective tissue. Such conditions are sometimes described as collagen vascular diseases, examples being rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and scleroderma.
This refers to a collection of disorders that share a general disruption in the body’s connective tissues. Conditions in this category include rheumatic fever, rheumatoid arthritis, polyarteritis nodosa, disseminated lupus erythematosus, generalized scleroderma, and dermatomyositis. Each of these conditions presents varying degrees of changes in connective tissue, such as collagen degradation, excessive collagen buildup, changes in tissue structure, growth of connective tissue, and infiltration by inflammatory cells. Many collagen diseases share similar features, and some conditions don’t fit neatly into any single category but rather show overlapping symptoms with multiple disorders. In some instances, these diseases are thought to be triggered by an allergic reaction to a bacterial toxin. Temporal arteritis is likely part of this group as well.