Introduction
Inflammation in the connective tissue can have various causes and thus present itself with different symptoms. In general, inflammation in connective tissue occurs as a response of the tissue to an internal or external stimulus. This can be an injury, an infection or an autoimmune disease. The connective tissue then reacts with the inflammation, the ultimate goal of which is the removal of the disturbing stimulus and the associated healing of the tissue. The inflammation is thus intended to create conditions for repair processes to take place.
Symptoms
The inflammation of the connective tissue is classically accompanied by the so-called cardinal signs of inflammation. These are swelling (tumor), redness (rubor), overheating (calor), pain (dolor) and functional impairment (functio laesa). Not all signs of inflammation necessarily occur simultaneously.
In the case of deeper-seated inflammation, for example, redness is not always visible. Inflammations of the connective tissue can be accompanied by very different symptoms, depending on the cause and type of inflammation and its localization. Not every inflammation of the connective tissue manifests itself in the same way.
Indications that may point to an inflammation in the connective tissue are sudden swellings that are accompanied by redness and pain. Accompanying fever and a general feeling of sickness are also indications of an inflammation. Furthermore, the swelling may be warmer compared to the rest of the skin.
A rather painless and slowly growing swelling without redness, usually has other causes, such as a lipoma. Inflammation can also be chronic, but in this case occasional pain or discomfort would still be typical. Inflammations, which develop in the context of autoimmune diseases, can be accompanied by many different symptoms. In this case, it is often not easy to recognize directly where the inflammation is located. Typical, however, are creeping symptoms such as unintentional weight loss, fever or night sweats.
Causes
The causes for inflammation of the connective tissue are very diverse. A possible cause of inflammation is a mechanical stimulus or trauma. Typically, injuries that occur, for example, during sports or everyday life can lead to an inflammatory stimulus in the affected connective tissue.
Such a type of inflammation is abacterial. In this case it can be both superficial and deeper-seated inflammation. Various structures of the connective tissue can be affected by the inflammation, for example ligaments and tendon insertions.
Another cause for an inflammation of the connective tissue are pathogens, especially bacteria. A special form of this inflammation is the phlegmon. This is a deep-reaching inflammation of the connective tissue, skin and subcutaneous fatty tissue, which can reach as far as the muscle fascia.
In most cases, the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and/or Group A Streptococci are involved in the development of this connective tissue inflammation. Via a small injury in the nail bed or skin they can penetrate into the connective tissue and cause the inflammation there. Other pathogens, such as tuberculosis or gas gangrene, can also cause inflammation of the connective tissue.
Apart from such traumatic or infectious inflammations, connective tissue inflammations also exist in the context of autoimmune diseases. A frequent example mentioned in this context is scleroderma. This rare disease leads to many inflammations in the connective tissue and organs, which are accompanied by cell proliferation. So-called fibrosis develops, which makes the connective tissue tough and inelastic and leads to hardening. Lupus erythematosus, poly- and dermatomyositis and Sjögren’s syndrome also belong to this group of autoimmune diseases, which are also called collagenoses and affect different parts of the connective tissue.
