connective tissue disease

connective tissue disease

noun

Definition of CONNECTIVE TISSUE DISEASE

: any of various diseases or abnormal states (as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, polyarteritis nodosa, rheumatic fever, and dermatomyositis) characterized by inflammatory or degenerative changes in connective tissue—called also collagen disease, collagenolysis, collagen vascular disease