UCTD- What is it?

Most people, even when diagnosed with it, have no idea what UCTD is. The acronym UCTD stands for "undifferentiated connective tissue disease". UCTD is generally classified as a disease "in which signs and symptoms are consistent with a CTD but that do not fulfill the classification or diagnostic criteria for any one of the defined CTDs" (Medscape). Basically, having UCTD means that you don't really fall into any already defined disease but with a vague set of symptoms that suggest a connective tissue disease.

It could be that you'll be "undifferentiated" forever and your disease will not "differentiate" into one of the defined CTDs, like RA, MCTD, Sjogren's or Lupus. All you need to be diagnosed with UCTD are two things: symptoms that suggest a CTD and a postive ANA (antinuclear antibodies test). This leads to the disease being very vague and varying greatly from person to person.

Due to the inherent "vagueness" of this disease, no two UCTD stories are the same. There isn't very much information out there about it and very few patient accounts online when you compare it to the volume for say, Rheumatoid Arthritis or Lupus. That's why this blog was created. I hope to bring awareness to UCTD and to share my story and the experiences of others as we wander in "undifferentiated land".

Heather