Connective tissue diseases.

Abstract

The connective tissue diseases are musculoskeletal disorders that have an autoimmune basis. They can affect the internal organ systems and may have numerous ocular manifestations. This chapter discusses both the systemic and ocular findings of certain connective tissue diseases, specifically cranial arteritis, Sjögren's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, and lupus erythematosus. Treatment for the clinical manifestations of each disease is also reviewed.