Fibrosis - Definition and Overview

Fibrosis is the formation or development of excess fibrous connective tissue in an organ or tissue as a reparative or reactive process, as opposed to formation of fibrous tissue as a normal constituent of an organ or tissue.

Diseases:

• cystic fibrosis of the pancreas, fibrocystic disease of the pancreas, mucoviscidosis.

• endomyocardial fibrosis, idiopathic myocardiopathy

• cirrhosis is fibrosis of the liver, hepatic fibrosis, liver fibrosis

• idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis of the lung, chronic fibrous pneumonia, interstitial or usual interstitial pneumonia, diffuse interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, fibrosing alveolitis, and interstitial fibrosis or interstitial pulmonary fibrosis

• mediastinal fibrosis

• pleural fibrosis

• progressive massive fibrosis, a complication of silicosis or coal workers' pneumoconiosis

• proliferative fibrosis, neoplastic fibrosis

• tuberculosis (TB) can cause fibrosis of the lungs

Adjective - fibrotic