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Vasculitis: types, diagnosis and treatment

Vasculitis: types, diagnosis and treatment

Edited by: TOP DOCTORS® at 03/01/2022

There are several types of vasculitis in which the symptoms, severity and duration are different.

Dra.. Andrea Hinojosa Azaola

This disease is characterized by inflammation of the blood vessels , affects both men and women of any age. The exact cause is not known, however, some may be related to genetic factors, infections, medications and autoimmune mechanisms. Vasculitis may manifest itself with mild, severe or even fatal episodes.

Main types of vasculitis

Each type of vasculitis presents different symptoms according to the affected organs, the most common are tiredness, general discomfort, joint and muscle pain, fever, weight loss, difficulty breathing, cough with or without blood, ear problems , fluid retention. And the changes the patient may see are red spots, nodules, ulcers or cutaneous infarcts, foamy or bloody urine, red eyes with pain and vision problems.

The main types of vasculitis are:

  • Vasculitis affecting large vessels: Giant cell arteritis and Takayasu arteritis (inflammation of the aorta).
  • Vasculitis affecting medium vessels: Kawasaki disease (a disorder affecting the skin, mouth and lymph nodes) and polyarteritis nodosa (inflammation of blood vessels).
  • Vasculitis affecting small vessels: Goodpasture's disease (renal failure), hypocomplementemic urticarial vasculitis, microscopic polyangiitis granulomatosis with polyangeitis (Wegener), eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangeitis (Churg-Strauss), among others.

Diagnosis and treatment

The patient will present with a specialist when noticing the main symptoms, from there the doctor will perform laboratory tests and a physical examination. Among the major medical examinations that are performed are biopsy, blood tests, antibodies, ultrasound, tomography or magnetic resonance and studies to assess the conduction of nerves.

The experts in treating vasculitis are rheumatologists, dermatologists, otolaryngologists, neurologists and nephrologists. The treatment consists of immunosuppressive drugs (taken or intravenous), which serve to control the disease in the short and long term. One of the main complications of the drugs is the risk of infections, so it is important to avoid self-medication. Keep in mind that early detection and treatment can prevent permanent damage.

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