What is the origin and difference between a collagen vascular disease and a connective tissue disease?
1942—Dr. Klemperer introduces the term diffuse collagen disease based on his pathologic studies of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and scleroderma.
1946—Dr. Rich coins the term collagen vascular disease based on his pathologic studies in vasculitis, indicating that the primary lesion involved the vascular endothelium.
1952—Dr. Ehrich suggests the term connective tissue diseases, which has gradually replaced the term collagen vascular diseases.
In summary, the two terms are used synonymously, although the purist would say that the heritable collagen disorders are the only true “diffuse collagen diseases.”
