Musculoskeletal ImagingFibrosis
the formation of fibrous tissue, which may be either normal or pathologic.
Fibrosis occurs normally as part of the repair of damaged parenchymatous elements, or fibrous tissue may replace normal tissue in various disease states, such as
cystic fibrosis,
pulmonary fibrosis and
endomyocardial fibrosis.
Fibrosis follows either acute or chronic inflammatory states. Chronic inflammation is characterized by persistent tissue destruction involving both parenchyma and stroma. The damage is so extensive that it cannot be repaired by parenchymal cells alone; as a consequence, fibrous connective tissue replaces some of the tissue lost. This fibrosis leads to formation of scar tissue.
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