Vasculitis Of Skin And Associated Disorders

Inflammatory process involving blood vessels

Your Path

  • Vasculitis of Skin and Associated Disorders

Sites

  • Systemic including: Skin, kidneys, respiratory tract (upper and lower), brain, blood vessels of all sizes, nerves, GI tract

Etiology

  • Drugs (20%)
  • Malignancy (4%)
  • Idiopathic (cutaneous only) vasculitis (39%)
  • Primary systemic vasculitis (14%): Henosch-Schonlein Purpura (HSP), Granulomatosis w/Polyangiitis (GPA), Polyarteriitis Nodosa (PAN), Eosoinophilic Granulomatosis w/Polyangiitis (EGPA), Microscopic Poyangiitis (MPA), Giant Cell Arteriitis (GCA)
  • Connective tissue disease (11%): Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Sjogren's
  • Other systemic disorders (2%): Behcet's, Sarcoidosis, IBD, Cryoglobulinemia
  • Infections (22%): upper respiratory tract, viral hepatitis, Strep, Staph or other systemic bacteremias

Symptoms

  • Variable, depending on type of vasculitis and organ system(s) affected
  • Can include generalized (fever, chills, sweats, weight loss) or organ specific (cough, hemoptysis, finger pain/ulcers, hematuria, etc)

Physical Exam Findings

  • Purpura (typically palpable)
  • Pain, swelling, distal ischemia/necrosis (in particular nose, fingers, toes)
  • Other findings based on organ system affected (e.g. nasal septal ulcer/perforation w/GPA)

Links