[Mixed connective tissue disease (Sharp's syndrome)--a case report]

A case of a 45-year-old woman with a prolonged disease (more than 16 years) is reported. The initial manifestations were those of Raynaud's syndrome. Later a very complex combination of symptoms and syndromes developed which included: arthritis, arthralgia, skin eruptions, lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, a tendency toward sclerodermic changes of the face and the distal parts of the fingers, Sjogren's syndrome, slight anemia, transient leucopenia, fast ESR, increased serum immunoglobulin G and A levels and presence of high antibody titres against a nuclear ribonucleoprotein. The authors consider the case as a mixed connective tissue disease.