Also, as in scleroderma, the pulmonary vessels – even in patients who didn’t have pulmonary hypertension – had similar but less extensive disease, she added.
Based on these various findings, which together show a great deal of similarity to scleroderma while highlighting numerous differences from other connective tissue diseases, Dr. Steen said she is increasingly convinced that MCTD is not a unique entity, mixed disease, or subset of lupus, but is actually a subset of systemic scleroderma.
Dr. Steen reported having no disclosures relevant to her presentation.