Vasculitis
An Introduction to Vasculitis
Vasculitis encompasses a diverse group of rare disorders linked by inflammation of blood vessel walls, which may result in organ failure or death. Vasculitis is categorized by size of the predominant vessel involved and includes small-, medium-, and large-vessel vasculitis. The most common forms are giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica. Vasculitis may be primary, with no known cause, or secondary to infection, drugs, toxins, inflammatory disorder or cancer. They have a broad range of clinical presentations that can be systemic or organ-specific, and are often similar to more common diseases, resulting in diagnostic delay and poor outcomes. Treatment options include corticosteroids, methotrexate, azathioprine, mycophenolate, cyclophosphamide, tocilizumab and rituximab.
