Connective Tissue Disease

Connective tissue disorders (CTDs) are generally referred to as a group of systemic diseases with abnormalities in the collagen and elastin holding tissues. Usually, they are characterized by the presence of over activity of the immune system by unknown causes, this results in the production of autoantibodies which attack the body’s own tissues, causing inflammation. In CTD this can be multi system affecting the skin, joints, kidneys, lungs, GI tract etc. Due to their complexity we have a dedicated CTD clinic on a Tuesday morning ran by three Rheumatology Consultants  (Dr Youssef, Dr Dospinescu and Professor Herrick) and our CTD Specialist Nurse (Pamela Warrender). CTD conditions require a Multi-disciplinary approach and the team liaise closely with Specialist Colleagues in areas such as Respiratory, Renal, Dermatology, Cardiology and Gastroenterology. We also liaise with Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Clinical Psychology and Podiatry.