Looking younger, growing sicker: a case of late-onset sharp syndrome in a cameroonian woman

Abstract

Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) is a condition that combines signs borrowed from major connective tissue diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic scleroderma, and idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, with high titers of anti-U1RNP antibodies, which are currently the biomarker for this condition. It most often affects young adults, and its late onset is rare or even exceptional. We report the case of a 71-year-old woman with MCTD meeting Sharp's criteria, with cutaneous, osteoarticular and hematological involvement. We discuss the issue of late-onset MCTD and its management in a context of limited resources.