Vasculitides
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This article deals with the vasculitides (singular vasculitis).
Overview
Most common:[1]
- Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN).
- Microscopic polyangiitis.
- Wegener's granulomatosis.
- Predominantly cutaneous vasculitis.
- Giant cell arteritis (GCA).
Grouping by size
Small vessel vasculitides:
- Predominantly cutaneous vasculitis.
- Henoch-Schoenlein purpura.
- Essential cryoglobulinemic vasculitis.
- ANCA-associated:
- Wegener's granulomatosis (c-ANCA > p-ANCA).
- Churg-Strauss syndrome (50% ANCA +ve).
- Microscopic polyangiitis (usually p-ANCA)
Large vessel vasculitides:[2]
- Giant cell arteritis (AKA temporal arteritis).
- Takayasu's arteritis.
Giant cell arteritis
- AKA temporal arteritis.
Clinical
Features:
- Classic finding: jaw claudication, in a patient older than 50 years.
- Other findings: headache, vision loss or diplopia, scalp tenderness, polymyalgia, weight loss, chills, fever.
Work-up:
- CRP, ESR, temporal artery biopsy.
Treatment:
- Treat right away with high dose steroids.
Takayasu's arteritis
General:[3]
- Disease of medium/large arteries.
- Classically involves the aortic arch (leading to decreased pulses in the upper limbs).
- Typically in patients <40 yrs old.
- Usually asian.
Microscopic
Features:[4]
- Adventitial mononuclear infiltrate with perivascular cuffing of the vasa vasorum.
- Mononuclear inflammation in media.
- Granulomas, giant cells.
- +/-Patchy necrosis of media.