Mixed colagenosis is a systemic autoimmune disease whose etiology is still unclear. It is characterized through the immune response to the constituents of the cellular nucleus-ribonucleoproteins (RNP) and clinical elements of other colagenoses: systemic erythematous lupus, scleroderma, rheumatoid polyarthritis, dermatomyositis / polymyositis. The main manifestations of mixed colagenosis (Raynaud phenomena, tumefaction of the hands, “sausage” fingers, sclerodactyly, synovitis) are associated with one or more visceral afflictions, sometimes severe ones (pulmonary arterial hypertension), with consequences on the life expectancy.



The purpose of this article is the review the mixed connective tissue disease neurological symptoms. This requires a review of the clinical, serologic and genetic particularities of this disease. Several decades ago, doctors have noticed that patients with mixed connective tissue disease presented signs of lupus, scleroderma, myositis, etc. These diseases are called overlap syndromes. In Sharp and others discovered that there is a type of overlap syndrome with manifestations of lupus, scleroderma, myositis and rheumatoid poly-arthritis, as well as high number of antibodies compared to a specific antigen, called U1RNP.



The mixed connective tissue disease is a rare affliction. In most cases, the condition starts between the ages of 20 and 50 and 8-9 out of 10 patients are women. The disease is not hereditary. There can be some genetic susceptibility: the same genetic susceptibility is noted in cases of lupus, rheumatoid polyarthritis or the Sjögren syndrome, which are described in association. The external factors too can play a role. Some cases of mixed connective tissue diseases were described after patients were professionally exposed to polyvinylchloride.

Colagenoses (diseases of the connective tissue) include a number of syndromes, whose etiopathogeny is not fully known, and the main trait is the autoimmune affliction of one or more organs. The clinical panel is often complex and diagnosis difficult. Manifestations depend on the affected organs, the degree of inflammation and the evolution of the disease. Generally, the prognosis is favorable, if the disease is treated adequately. Life expectancy is similar to that of lupus cases.

The evaluation of diagnosis criteria has allowed the clinician to identify them with more certain, depending on the clinical and biological traits. Thus, the diagnosis is established based on clinical and biological manifestations; still, 25% of clinical and biological signs are too frust to be associated with one disease or another. These are regrouped under the name of undifferentiated connective tissue diseases-UCTD; sometimes early undifferentiated connective tissue diseases-EUCTD). In the early stages of connective tissue disease and especially in the debut of an overlap syndrome or mixed connective tissue disease, the manifestations can be limited and unusual.



The mixed colagenosis diagnose is based on the clinical symptoms of the organ damaged and on the presence of anti-U1RNP antibodies in high counts. If the suspicion is of mixed connective tissue disease, procedure involves functional pulmonary testing, cardiologic control, renal examination, etc. In case of muscular or neurological afflictions, specialists recommend an electromyography. Mixed connective tissue disease neurological symptoms include trigeminal neuropathy, headaches, aseptic meningitis, convulsions, transverse myelitis, peripheral polyneuropathy, retinal vasculitis and “horse’s tail” syndrome or cauda-conus syndrome.