Connective Tissue Disorders

Reading this article

Topic pages summarize public health information in plain language. They may describe common causes and treatments in general terms; your own plan of care depends on your clinician’s exam, history, and tests. Use what you read here to prepare questions—not to start, stop, or change medications or to self-diagnose.

Your connective tissue supports many different parts of your body, such as your skin, eyes, and heart. It is like a "cellular glue" that gives your body parts their shape and helps keep them strong. It also helps some of your tissues do their work. It is made of many kinds of proteins. Cartilage and fat are types of connective tissue.

Over 200 disorders that impact connective tissue. There are different types:

Genetic disorders, such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Marfan syndrome, and osteogenesis imperfecta
Autoimmune disorders, such as lupus and scleroderma
Cancers, like some types of soft tissue sarcoma

Each disorder has its own symptoms and needs different treatment.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases