Medical Centric

VASCULITIS

Nervous System Diseases, Skin Conditions / By

DEFINITION

Vasculitis is a general term used to address a condition that involves the inflammation of the blood vessel.

  • The vascular system of the body include the blood vessels made up of the arteries and the veins.
  • Once the vascular system is inflamed, they become weakened and thin even to the point of entirely closing off.
  • This condition may be as a result of a self-induced attack of the immune system on the blood vessel.
  • The inflammation characterized by vasculitis may lead to serious complications depending on the organ, blood vessel, and body system affected.
  • If the inflammation occurs in the artery, it is referred to as arteritis
  • The one affecting the vein is referred to as venulitis.
  • Vasculitis may be linked to an infection, a medication and other health conditions such as leukemia and lymphoma. Vasculitis is affected by all ages.

CAUSES

  • The exact cause of vasculitis is unknown.
  • Genetic makeup may be one of the considered causes of vasculitis.
  • Autoimmune disorder- A condition where a self-induced attack is placed on the molecules, cells or tissue of the body.
  • Infections such as hepatitis B and C, blood cancers, immune diseases and reaction to some certain drugs may activate vasculitis.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Signs and symptoms vary from person to person and depend on the organ affected and the severity of the disease. Symptoms common to vasculitis include:

A headache

Fever

Rash (if the skin is involved)

Weight loss

Fatigue

Numbness or weakness

Kidney failure

Loss of  appetite

Aches and pains

DIAGNOSIS

The doctor may evaluate medical history and then carry out a physical test. Such test involved in having a proper diagnosis of vasculitis include:

  • Blood test to check for signs of inflammation and to check for abnormal levels of certain blood cells and proteins in the body.
  • Biopsy, a surgical procedure in which small sample of the body tissue is taken to be studied under a microscope to check for signs of inflammation and tissue damage. This procedure is often the best way for a doctor to make a sturdy diagnosis of vasculitis.
  • A urine test can also be carried out. A sample of the urine is collected for analysis. This test may reveal an anomaly in the level of blood cells or protein in the body. This anomaly may indicate a sign of vasculitis affecting the kidney.
  • Angiography is used by the doctor for visualizing the blood vessels to find out whether they are narrowed, closed off or deformed.
  • Echocardiography, an ultrasound used to check the structure and functioning of the heart abnormalities and disease
  • Electrocardiography, a procedure that records the electrical potential of the heartbeat used especially in diagnosing abnormalities of the heart.
  • Abdominal ultrasound can also be used, this is to show if vasculitis is affecting any organ and structure present in the abdomen.

TREATMENT

  • Vasculitis treatment depends on diagnosis and the organs affected.
  • If an allergic reaction is the cause of vasculitis, no treatment is required as such vasculitis go away with time.
  • In such cases where sensitive organs like the heart, lungs, brain, and kidney are affected, a timely and fierce approach to treatment is necessary.
  • Treatment may also include administering adrenal-cortex steroids ( cortisone, corticosterone, and aldosterone). This medicine serves as an anti-inflammatory agent.
  • To suppress the abnormal immune response that has led to damage of blood vessels, chemotherapy drugs may as well be administered but in doses lower than people with cancer.