Fibrosis
Fibrosis can be defined as:
" The formation (development) of excess fibrous connective tissue in an organ of the body, e.g. in the lungs, pancreas, heart or liver, among other organs."
For more about the meaning of the expression 'connective tissue' see classification of tissue types.
Fibrosis can occur in various ways (different processes) and can have various possible consequences. For example, fibrosis that occurs in response to injury is called scarring - see also scar and cicatrix. If fibrosis arises from a single cell line, the resulting formation of excess fibrous connective tissue is called a fibroma.
The word fibrosis can be used to describe the pathological state of excess deposition of fibrous tissue. The word fibrosis is also used to refer to the process of deposition of connective tissue during healing e.g. after a trauma.
The word fibrosis is also used as part of the name of several common or well-known medical conditions such as:
- cystic fibrosis
- pulmonary fibrosis
- myocardinal fibrosis
