Vasculitis: classification, diagnosis, symptoms, treatment in adults

Vasculitis ( angiitis, arteritis ) is a general name for a group of diseases associated with inflammation and destruction of the walls of blood vessels. Inflammation of blood vessels can occur in any organ.

The disease vasculitis leads to the fact that the vessels cease to properly perform their function (supplying blood to tissues and removing metabolic products), so the organs adjacent to them are affected.

Vasculitis has different classifications and may differ in localization, etiology and severity of the clinical picture. Some vasculitis affects only the skin, while others affect vital organs.

Left untreated, vasculitis can result in serious complications. Intestinal and pulmonary bleeding, thrombosis, renal failure, liver failure, heart attack - this is not a complete list of the dangerous consequences of the disease. Vasculitis can lead the patient to disability and even death.

1 Consultation with a rheumatologist

2 Consultation with a rheumatologist

3 Consultation with a rheumatologist

What is vasculitis?

Vasculitis is a group of diseases characterized by the development of inflammation of the walls of blood vessels. This inflammation begins due to an impaired immune response. The cause may be a past infection or allergy. Inflammation can affect small, medium, and large vessels. Because of it, blood circulation and blood supply to individual organs are disrupted, which can cause complications. Without treatment of vasculitis, necrosis of the vessel walls (death of their tissue), bleeding, and ischemia (impaired blood flow) begin. Both children and adults can get vasculitis. The disease can be primary (when inflammation of the walls of blood vessels is the only manifestation without an apparent cause) or secondary. With secondary vasculitis, the walls of blood vessels become inflamed due to other diseases (infectious, oncological, rheumatic).

Types and classification of vasculitis

Vasculitis is divided into types:

primary;
secondary;
systemic.

In the first case, we are talking about an independent and still just beginning disease. The second type may appear with other pathologies, for example, tumors. It can also occur as a reaction to an infection. Systemic vasculitis can occur in different ways. It leads to inflammation of blood vessels and damage to their walls, and tissue necrosis cannot be ruled out. Without proper treatment, complications usually occur, including death.

Based on the caliber of the affected vessels, a classification of vasculitis was identified. It may be in the form:

arteritis (affects large vessels);
phlebitis (affects the walls of the veins);
arteriolitis (inflames the arteries and arterioles);
capillaritis (affects capillaries).

Also included in a separate category is vasculopathy, which is characterized by the absence of clear signs of inflammation and infiltration of the vascular walls.

The degree of vascular damage can be mild, moderate and severe.

Pathogenesis of vasculitis

Vasculitis develops due to a failure of immune mechanisms, but the exact causes of the disease have not been identified. The main hypothesis assumes that the nature of the disease is multi-etiological, associated with many factors. These include:

acute or chronic bacterial or viral infections;
allergy. A severe allergic reaction to drug components or food can cause immune failure;
complication of vaccination. If after vaccination the immune response is impaired, vasculitis may occur. Such complications are very rare;
severe or prolonged effects of stress, hypothermia or overheating, injuries.

Under the influence of these factors, the production of pathogenic immune complexes begins. Normally, they attack the pathogen, but due to an immune failure, the attack is directed at the body’s cells. Immune complexes attach to the walls of blood vessels, damage them and provoke inflammation.

Figure 1. The difference between a healthy vessel and one affected by vasculitis. Source: sl.smithhealthcentre.com

Treatment with folk remedies

If you visit any thematic forum, you can learn about many methods of treating vasculitis using traditional methods. But it is always important to remember that such treatment methods are only auxiliary in the process of main therapy. Before using them, it is better to consult a doctor about the advisability of such actions.

If it is necessary to treat superficial vasculitis, herbal preparations are used that have a positive effect on the permeability of vascular walls and produce an anti-inflammatory effect. This effect is possessed by: Japanese sophora, buckwheat, water and bird knotweed, horsetail, and nettle.
The use of decoctions and infusions of herbs that produce a general stimulating effect is also indicated: oat grains and straw, yarrow, rowan and black currant leaves, rose hips.
The following will help reduce swelling in deep forms of vasculitis: string, stinging nettle, and cinquefoil erecta.
In order to stimulate the function of the adrenal cortex, which is important in severe forms of vasculitis, treatment with drugs and decoctions containing ginseng, black elderberry, and eleutherococcus is recommended. Often patients are prescribed alcoholic infusions of ginseng and eleutherococcus.
It is also recommended to drink green tea, which strengthens the walls of blood vessels and reduces their permeability, and also has a positive effect on metabolic processes in the body. It should be drunk every day, alternating with other herbal teas.

The following herbal remedies can be used:

First collection. Knotweed, stinging nettle, sophora thick-fruited - 4 parts each, yarrow - 3 parts, black elderberry - 1 part. The infusion is prepared by pouring 5 g of the mixture with 1 cup of boiling water. Drink half a glass twice a day.
Second collection. Black elderberry, horsetail - 3 parts each, peppermint - 2 parts. The infusion is prepared by pouring 5 g of the mixture with 1 cup of boiling water. Drink the infusion warm, half a glass 4 times a day. This infusion is also used for lotions. Applications are applied to the affected areas and kept for 15 minutes. This procedure can be carried out several times a day.
The third gathering. is used as a general tonic and provides the body with vitamin K. To prepare it, St. John's wort, plantain, lungwort, black currant and rose hips are mixed in equal proportions. 10 g of product should be poured into 1 tbsp. water and boil for a few minutes. Drink half a glass 2 times a day.

Products for external use:

Compresses made from pine resin. They are applied to the affected areas when applied to the skin. To prepare the product, 200 g of resin must be melted and added to it 40 g of unrefined vegetable oil, 50 g of beeswax. Mix everything, and when the mixture has cooled, apply it to the affected areas without removing it for 24 hours.
Birch buds and nutria fat. To prepare the product you need to take 1 tbsp. grated dry or fresh birch buds and mix them with 500 g of nutria fat. Leave the product in a clay container for a week, keeping it on low heat in the oven for 3 hours every day. Place in jars and use every day as an ointment.

Classification

Vasculitis is a large group of diseases, and two classifications are used for them. The first is by etiology - it takes into account the reasons for which the disease appears. The second is by localization, taking into account which vessels are affected.

By etiology

This classification takes into account the causes of vasculitis:

primary. Inflammation of the walls of blood vessels is not associated with other diseases, is not their manifestation and develops as an independent disease. The exact causes of primary vasculitis have not been established, but it is known that hereditary predisposition plays an important role;
secondary. The walls of blood vessels become inflamed due to other diseases, inflammation is one of their manifestations.

There are several types of secondary vasculitis based on the underlying disease or condition that caused inflammation of the vessel walls:

hepatitis B and C viruses;
syphilis;
oncological diseases;
reaction to taking medications.

By localization

Division by localization takes into account which vessels are affected by vasculitis and where they are located. This determines the clinical picture, treatment approaches, prognosis and possible complications. The walls of small, medium and large blood vessels can become inflamed; inflammation can affect blood vessels of different sizes or vessels of individual organs.

Vasculitis of large blood vessels

When the walls of large blood vessels become inflamed, there are several common symptoms. These are large deviations from the norm when blood pressure changes and anomalies in the propagation of pulse waves. With each such wave after the heart contracts, the pressure in the arteries increases. If the wave is asymmetrical or absent on the arms or legs, this may be a sign of vasculitis. The disease is also indicated by the development of ischemia (decreased blood flow in a particular area), intermittent claudication (pain that occurs when walking and goes away after rest). Each type of vasculitis of large blood vessels has its own additional symptoms.

Giant cell arteritis. Inflammation affects the thoracic aorta, as well as the large arteries running from it to the neck, and the extracranial section of the carotid artery. Polymyalgia rheumatica is often the cause of giant cell arteritis. Symptoms include: headaches, blurred vision, fever, weight loss, fatigue, and general malaise.

Takayasu arteritis. Inflammation of the walls of the aorta and its branches, the walls of the pulmonary arteries, most often develops in young women. The first signs of the disease are weakness, spastic pain in the limbs, periodic visual disturbances, hypertension, differences in pulse or blood pressure values on different legs or arms or on an arm and leg on the same side.

Vasculitis of medium-sized vessels

The general manifestation is symptoms of infarction of the tissues of the affected organs: their necrosis occurs due to insufficient blood supply. On the skin this is manifested by the formation of nodules, ulcers, and livedo reticularis (discoloration). With a muscle tissue infarction, severe pain appears. It is possible to develop multiple neuropathy (damage to several nerves), kidney damage (increased pressure in the renal arteries), and mesenteric ischemia, which disrupts blood flow in the intestinal vessels. The exact symptoms depend on where exactly the affected vessels are located.

Cutaneous vasculitis. It affects the vessels of the subcutaneous tissue, which is why ulcers, purpura (hemorrhages in or under the skin, look like scatterings of small red dots), petechiae (bright red rash) appear on the skin.

Polyarteritis nodosa. With this disease, the walls of the muscle arteries become inflamed, causing secondary tissue ischemia to develop. With nodular arteritis, damage to the skin, kidneys, peripheral nerves, gastrointestinal tract, and any other organs is possible. Lung damage is not typical. First, general symptoms appear: fatigue, fever. Other manifestations depend on which organ is affected.

Vasculitis of small vessels

When the walls of small vessels become inflamed, symptoms of tissue infarction develop in the affected area. Often these manifestations are similar to the symptoms of vasculitis of medium vessels.

Cryoglobulinemic vasculitis. It is systemic and affects mainly small vessels. Blood serum analysis reveals cryoglobulins. Symptoms are varied and are determined by the location of the inflammation. Damage to the kidneys and peripheral nervous system often develops, and vascular purpura appears. General manifestations are weakness, slight increase in temperature, fatigue. In 90% of cases, purpura appears, most often it forms on the skin of the legs. When the kidneys are damaged, peripheral edema and increased pressure in the renal artery develop. It is also possible to experience muscle and joint pain and enlarged lymph nodes.

Wegener's granulomatosis. The lesion can affect any organs, but most often it is the respiratory organs or kidneys. If the respiratory organs are affected, the first symptoms are cough and runny nose, after which swelling develops, increased pressure, and symptoms of damage to several organs at once appear.

Hemorrhagic vasculitis. More often children get it. There are four forms of the disease: cutaneous (cutaneous-articular), abdominal (with damage to the digestive organs), renal, mixed. Accordingly, characteristic symptoms are identified, including palpable purpura, abdominal or joint pain, renal syndrome, vomiting, and nausea.

Microscopic polyangiitis. A rare disease that most often affects the kidneys. In about a third of cases, additional purpura appears on the skin. Possible damage to the respiratory system with the rapid development of shortness of breath, hemoptysis, and anemia. If alveolar bleeding develops against this background, the patient needs emergency help. Abdominal pain, vomiting and nausea, and damage to the nervous system are also possible.

Vasculitides that can affect blood vessels of varying sizes

Behçet's disease. Inflammation develops on the walls of small or medium-sized vessels. Symptoms depend on location. The disease can affect the lungs, kidneys, stomach, and brain. A peculiarity is the frequent appearance of ulcers on the mucous membranes of the mouth, in the genital area, and other mucous membranes.

Cogan's syndrome. A rare disease in which blood vessels of different sizes become inflamed. The disease is often accompanied by fever, joint pain, neurological disorders, decreased vision, hearing loss (may be irreversible).

Systemic vasculitis

This group includes vasculitis associated with systemic diseases:

systemic lupus erythematosus. The immune system begins to produce antibodies that damage healthy cells. Because of this, the walls of blood vessels become inflamed and lupus vasculitis develops;
rheumatoid arthritis. This is a systemic inflammatory disease affecting small joints. May be accompanied by rheumatoid vasculitis;
sarcoidosis The disease is accompanied by the formation of granulomas (nodules) in inflamed tissues. Foci of inflammation in sarcoidosis form in the lymph nodes, lungs, liver, spleen, skin, and bones. Sarcoidosis may be accompanied by sarcoid vasculitis.

Vasculitis of individual organs

Inflammation of blood vessels can affect only one, separate organ. Such diseases include:

cutaneous vasculitis. Affects small and medium-sized vessels in the skin and subcutaneous tissue, manifested by the formation of ulcers, purpura, petechiae;
cutaneous leukocytclastic angiitis. Inflammation of blood vessels in the skin is isolated and is not accompanied by systemic vasculitis or other associated conditions;
primary angiitis of the central nervous system. It affects the vessels of the spinal cord, brain, and pia mater. There are no signs of systemic inflammation;
isolated aortitis. A form of vasculitis with limited localization of inflammation of the vessel walls.

Symptoms of the disease.

Allergic skin vasculitis (depending on the depth of the damaging process) is divided into:

Superficial
Deep

Symptoms of allergic skin vasculitis:

Purpura – vascular spots in areas of hemorrhage
Ulcers
Vascular spots
Papules are pink nodular lumps of skin
Bubbles with a diameter greater than 5 mm
Subcutaneous nodes
Chronic urticaria
Rash

All of the above symptoms are usually accompanied by general malaise, loss of appetite, itching and burning of the skin, fever and increased temperature.

Causes

Inflammation of the walls of blood vessels begins due to autoimmune disorders, in which antibodies are produced against the cells of one’s own body. The exact causes of primary vasculitis have not been established. Secondary vasculitis develops against the background of infectious or oncological diseases, as a rare complication of vaccination, after overheating or hypothermia, or sunburn.

Other possible causes include allergies to medications. More than 150 drugs have been identified that can provoke the disease. These include some antibiotics, analgesics, radiopaque agents, serums, vaccines, as well as iodine preparations, B vitamins and other drugs. Allergies, autoimmune failure and the development of vasculitis do not always occur after taking them. The risk of such complications is determined by the individual reaction to the components of the drug. Therefore, it is important that all medications are selected by a doctor. You do not need to choose your own antibiotics or antihistamines.

The most common forms of pathology:

Hemorrhagic vasculitis (according to clinical forms, it is divided into cutaneous, abdominal, renal and articular vasculitis). It occurs mainly in childhood and affects mainly small vessels. The main symptoms are a palpable rash (purpura), gastrointestinal and kidney dysfunction, and joint pain.
Cutaneous vasculitis. It develops exclusively in small and medium-sized vessels of the subcutaneous tissue. It manifests itself as a rash, purpura or ulcers.
Behçet's disease (Adamantiadis-Behçet). Affects the mucous membranes of the eyes, mouth, genitals and skin. As the disease progresses, ulcers appear on the mucous membranes. In addition, the disease affects the gastrointestinal tract and brain.

Symptoms of vasculitis

The manifestations of vasculitis are determined by the type of disease, location and size of the affected vessels. The most common symptoms that appear are:

increased body temperature;
weakness, malaise, fatigue;
decreased appetite, nausea and vomiting;
rapid weight loss;
pain: headaches, muscles, joints;
dizziness, loss of consciousness;
pallor of the skin, the appearance of rashes on it (ulcers, purpura, petechiae);
if there are cardiovascular diseases, they worsen;
Possible decreased vision;
change in skin sensitivity (from weak, almost absent to too strong);
symptoms associated with organs whose functioning is impaired due to insufficient blood circulation (this may be decreased vision, symptoms of kidney failure, problems with the digestive system).

Figure 2. Skin rash due to vasculitis.
Source: CC0 Public Domain Symptoms of inflammation are the first to appear, regardless of the size of the affected vessels. Fever occurs, general malaise occurs, weight begins to decrease, joint pain appears, and sweating increases at night. If the walls of small and medium-sized vessels become inflamed, skin lesions appear almost immediately: rash (palpable purpura, urticaria, and others), the formation of ulcers, nodules, livedo reticularis.

Figure 3. Reticular erythema pattern typical of livedo reticularis in cutaneous vasculitis. Source: Springer Science/Business Media

Some of the symptoms of vasculitis can be life-threatening and require immediate treatment. These are alveolar hemorrhage, mesenteric ischemia, a sharp decrease in vision, glomerulonephritis (kidney damage).

The exact symptoms of vasculitis depend on its form:

cutaneous - an itchy rash appears on the skin as a result of pinpoint hemorrhages. At first, its color is red, but then the rashes darken, disappear, and pigmented areas remain in their place. More often, such rashes form on the skin of the buttocks and legs;
articular - manifested by swelling, impaired mobility of large joints, pain;
abdominal - abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite;
renal - change in the color of urine and a decrease in its volume. The urine turns red or pink. Clinical analysis reveals protein levels indicating glomerulonephritis. Without treatment, kidney failure develops.

Vasculitis in children

Vasculitis rarely appears in children. Almost always this is either hemorrhagic vasculitis or Kawasaki syndrome.

Kawasaki syndrome. Yonsei medical journal / Open-i (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported)

Kawasaki syndrome is dangerous due to damage to the lymph nodes, heart vessels, and respiratory mucosa. The disease develops in an acute form with the sequential appearance of the following symptoms:

severe fever with a rapid increase in temperature to 38-41 degrees;
the appearance of a rash, erythematous spots on the skin;
damage to the mucous membranes of the eyes, upper respiratory tract, nose;
redness and then thickening of the skin on the palms and soles of the feet;
inflammation, enlargement of lymph nodes in the neck;
redness of the tongue;
dryness and flaking of the skin on the phalanges of the fingers and toes, around the nails.

Kawasaki syndrome is dangerous due to damage to the cardiovascular system and the risk of aneurysm formation, but with timely diagnosis and treatment, the prognosis is favorable.

Hemorrhagic vasculitis in children can occur in several forms, including cutaneous, abdominal, skin-articular, and renal. Symptoms for each form vary:

skin - the appearance of rash, swelling;
abdominal - abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, weight loss;
renal - decrease in urine volume, change in its color, appearance of protein in the analysis;
articular - the appearance of joint pain, limited mobility of large joints.

Vasculitis in adults

Vasculitis in adults develops as a result of disturbances in the functioning of the immune system. The main risk factors are severe infections, untimely or improper treatment of infectious diseases, taking medications without a doctor’s prescription, allergies to food or medications, and the use of certain medications.

Vasculitis occurs as a chronic, progressive disease, and in this case, its treatment requires complex and long-term therapy. The earlier the diagnosis is made and treatment started, the better the prognosis. In adults, inflammation of the walls of blood vessels can provoke life-threatening conditions, so it is important to consult a doctor promptly. Inflammation of the walls of blood vessels may be indicated by ongoing fever, symptoms associated with poor circulation, muscle, headaches, and joint pain.

Tests and diagnostics

Vasculitis can occur in several forms, and the symptoms for each of them will be different. Often they are “masked” as other diseases, and therefore a detailed diagnosis is needed. It starts with contacting a rheumatologist. He can refer you to a dermatologist, cardiologist, immunologist, nephrologist and other specialists.

Diagnosis begins with the following studies:

clinical blood test. Allows you to identify inflammation, signs of allergies, immune reactions;
general urine analysis. Evaluates the condition and function of the kidneys. With a high protein content, it indicates glomerulonephritis associated with kidney damage;
coagulogram. Evaluates blood clotting. With vasculitis, it decreases, which increases the risk of hemorrhage.

Additionally, tests can be performed for antibodies to hepatitis B and C (often detected with vasculitis), a biopsy of the affected tissue, followed by histology (the study of cells). Some laboratory tests are used to determine the type of vasculitis, its etiology, and the degree of organ damage.

During diagnosis, an ECG is also prescribed to assess the condition of the heart, identify circulatory disorders, radiography, CT or MRI of affected organs or large blood vessels.

Diagnosis of vasculitis

The earlier the examination is carried out, the diagnosis is established and treatment is started, the greater the chances of avoiding damage to vital organs and disruption of their functions.

If necessary, consultations with a vascular surgeon, therapist, ophthalmologist, neurologist, otolaryngologist, etc. are scheduled.

The diagnosis is made based on a number of data:

physical examination;
laboratory tests.

Tests for vasculitis (see also rheumatological examination)

The following tests are required:

general blood test (usually an increase in ESR is noticed);
biochemical blood test (protein fractions, etc.);
immunological tests (gamma globulin, C-reactive protein, rheumatoid factor, ANCA, etc.);
blood for HBsAg if viral hepatitis is suspected.

In addition, instrumental methods such as:

Doppler ultrasound;
radiography;
angiography (examination of blood vessels using X-ray contrast agents);
CT scan.

1 General blood test

2 Doppler ultrasound

3 Plasmapheresis procedure

Treatment

The approach to treating vasculitis is determined by the location of the affected vessels, the presence of concomitant diseases, the severity of the condition, and a number of other factors. Most often, complex therapy is used, which involves taking medications, physiotherapy, diet, and preventing exacerbations. In severe forms of the disease, if thrombosis of large arteries or stenosis of the great arteries develops, surgical treatment is indicated.

Drug treatment of vasculitis

Approaches to treating vasculitis vary in each case. The rheumatologist will prescribe medications to reduce the production of antibodies and reduce tissue sensitivity. In some cases, antibiotics are needed, in others, antiallergic drugs.

Photo: lucky7trader / freepik.com

The attending rheumatologist should draw up a drug treatment program. Additionally, he can attract other doctors of a more narrow specialization. You cannot try to cure the disease on your own. It is dangerous due to severe complications and requires systemic and complex therapy.

Medicines for vasculitis

Prescribed in order to achieve stable remission and reduce the risk of complications. With secondary vasculitis, therapy is aimed at treating the underlying disease that caused vascular inflammation.

The following drugs are used for treatment:

glucocorticosteroids or steroid hormones. Prescribed in almost all cases, they have anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects. Doses of drugs are selected individually, creating a dosage schedule. Typically the dosage is high at first and then gradually reduced;
cytostatics. They suppress the activity of the immune system, which allows for the correction of autoimmune mechanisms. Cytostatics are used in combination with glucocorticosteroids for severe forms of vasculitis. The drugs are prescribed as part of pulse therapy. It involves taking medications in short courses to avoid side effects;
antitumor drugs, in particular Rituximab. These are monoclonal antibodies that are produced by immune cells, have immunosuppressive properties and are used in the treatment of systemic vasculitis if the use of cytostatics is undesirable. They are not prescribed for hepatitis B virus, neutropenia, low IgC levels in the blood and a positive tuberculin test.

Immunosuppressants (suppress the activity of the immune system), normal human immunoglobulin (used for infectious complications, severe kidney damage, development of hemorrhagic alveolitis), antibacterial, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, anticoagulants (prevent the formation of blood clots in blood vessels), antiallergic drugs can also be prescribed.

Physiotherapeutic methods for treating vasculitis

To treat vasculitis, plasmapheresis is used, in which blood is taken, purified and returned to the bloodstream. The technique is used as part of combination therapy if the disease is severe or acute and progresses rapidly. Plasmapheresis is prescribed in courses for severe kidney damage, as well as in cases where the use of cytostatics is contraindicated.

Treatment with folk remedies

Folk remedies are ineffective in treating vasculitis, and their use can be dangerous. If the disease progresses rapidly or becomes severe, you should immediately consult a doctor. Attempts to be treated with traditional methods will lead to a loss of time and can provoke complications.

Valeria Korol – general practitioner, rheumatologist, Member of the Expert Council of MedPortal

“Who is admitted to the hospital for vasculitis?

— All patients with newly diagnosed signs of systemic vasculitis. Special indications for hospitalization of patients with an established diagnosis of SV:

Rapidly progressive deterioration of kidney function
The appearance of protein in the urine - more than 3 g/day
Recurring abdominal pain
Damage to the organ of vision
Signs of central nervous system damage"

Treatment of vasculitis

Treatment of vasculitis is prescribed depending on the type of organs affected and concomitant diseases. If the primary form of the disease appears against the background of an allergy, it usually disappears on its own and does not require additional measures.

If the source of the disease affects vital organs, such as the heart, brain, kidneys or lungs, then the patient is prescribed a course of intensive therapy.

To stabilize blood circulation, treatment can be carried out both at home and in a hospital setting. Pregnant women, children and patients with severe forms of the disease are required to be hospitalized.

Use:

chemotherapy;
corticosteroids;
NSAIDs;
anticoagulants;
enterosorbents;
antiplatelet agents;
antihistamines;
cytostatics.

Additionally, plasmapheresis, hemosorption and immunosorption are included.

Prevention

The causes of primary vasculitis are unknown, so special prevention is not carried out. Prevention of secondary vasculitis is carried out in several directions and involves restoration and maintenance of normal health:

reducing the risk of contracting hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and other infections;
timely and correct treatment of any diseases and especially infectious ones;
taking medications only as prescribed by a doctor;
maintaining a healthy lifestyle: maintaining a normal weight, giving up bad habits, proper nutrition and sufficient physical activity;
allergy control. If they exist, it is important to exclude allergic reactions to food and medicines.

Tests and diagnostics

During the diagnostic process, the following studies are carried out:

Blood and urine tests are carried out multiple times. In the process of such studies, in patients with vasculitis, an acceleration of ESR, an increase in fibrinogen , and an increase in C-reactive protein levels are often determined. Leukocytosis may be detected. Blood and urine tests help determine kidney damage.
Immunogram study. In the process of immunological research, in some forms of vasculitis, antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) are determined. This greatly simplifies the diagnosis.
Allergy testing.
Instrumental research methods - ultrasound, radiography, echocardiography, etc.
Biopsy of the affected organ or tissue for immunohistochemical and histological examination. Such a study helps confirm the diagnosis.

But the most important thing in the diagnostic process is still the determination of ANCA in blood serum by the method of indirect immunofluorescence or by enzyme immunoassay.

The set of studies that the doctor prescribes depends on the clinical picture and the patient’s complaints.

Doctors often encounter difficulties at the stage of early diagnosis, since the symptoms of the disease are often not clearly expressed and are also similar to the signs of other diseases. Therefore, differential diagnosis often causes certain difficulties. For example, with hemorrhagic vasculitis, abdominal syndrome sometimes appears, which can be perceived as a gastrointestinal disease requiring surgical intervention.

To correctly establish a diagnosis, the following algorithm is practiced:

Determination of clinical signs of vasculitis . When vascular damage occurs, skin syndrome, trophic disorder syndrome, and ischemic syndrome develop; mucosal involvement, arterial hypertension, venous involvement and organ changes are noted.
Determination of laboratory and clinical signs of the disease . The presence of general symptoms and laboratory parameters is assessed.
Distinguishing between the primary and secondary nature of the disease.
Instrumental examination of blood vessels. To confirm vascular damage, dopplerography, angiography, biomicroscopy, angioscanning, capillaroscopy are performed and the presence of characteristic signs of damage is assessed.
Identification of specific markers of damage to the vascular wall, laboratory diagnosis of vasculitis.
Morphological study of material taken by biopsy. For this purpose, histochemical and immunomorphological methods are used.
Determination of the main pathogenetic links of vascular damage. At this stage, the type of disease is determined (vasculitis associated with immune complexes; associated with ANCA; organ-specific antibodies; cell-mediated vasculitis with the formation of granulomas).
Determination of the probable etiology of the disease. In most cases, the etiology of primary vasculitis is unknown, but exposure to certain viruses and bacteria cannot be ruled out. Immunogenetic markers are identified.
Clarification of the form of vasculitis using classification criteria.

Diet for vasculitis

The diet for vasculitis is designed to eliminate food allergies, normalize weight, and provide the daily requirement for calories, vitamins, minerals, etc. When forming a diet, they take into account the causes that provoked vasculitis and which organs were affected due to inflammation of the walls of blood vessels and poor circulation. For example, if the stomach or intestines are damaged, a special nutrition plan is needed.

General recommendations involve organizing a healthy diet: excluding foods that cause an allergic reaction, eating enough fresh vegetables and fruits, dairy products, cereals, excluding fatty, spicy, fried foods. In each individual case, you can contact a nutritionist for help in creating a diet.

Diet

Hypoallergenic diet

Efficacy: therapeutic effect after 21-40 days
Timing: constantly
Cost of products: 1300-1400 rubles. in Week

During illness, it is important to exclude from the diet all foods that can provoke allergic reactions. It is necessary to completely remove chocolate, cocoa, eggs, and citrus fruits from the diet. If you have kidney failure, you should not eat too salty foods or foods containing a lot of potassium. Alcohol should be completely avoided and food should not be too cold or too hot.

It is important to adhere to the following recommendations:

Eat in small portions and at least 6 times a day.
Introduce foods containing vitamins C, B, K and A into your diet.
The amount of salt per day should not exceed 8 g.
It is important to eat plenty of fermented milk products to restore calcium reserves in the body.
The menu should include vegetable soups, boiled vegetables, cereals with milk and regular ones, vegetable oils, sweet fruits, boiled meat and fish, white bread crackers.
You need to drink green tea, herbal infusions, jelly and compotes.
As you recover, the diet is adjusted.

Consequences and complications

Without treatment, vasculitis becomes a life-threatening disease. It can cause pulmonary, intestinal and intracranial bleeding, thrombosis, renal or liver failure, myocardial infarction, and aneurysms. Possible complications include:

intestinal obstruction;
peritonitis;
pancreatitis;
heart attacks, thrombosis, ischemia of tissues and organs;
perforation of intestinal and stomach ulcers;
neuritis, cerebral disorders.

Even with timely treatment of vasculitis and persistent remission of the disease, consequences are possible, including chronic diseases of the kidneys, liver, digestive organs, breathing, hearing loss, vision loss and others. In order to most effectively restore normal health and quality of life, long-term systemic therapy is carried out.

Frequently asked questions about vasculitis

How does vasculitis manifest?

This disease has many symptoms. Common symptoms include malaise, fever, changes in blood pressure and disturbances in the circulatory system.

Why is vasculitis dangerous?

Vasculitis is an insidious disease that leads to tissue destruction and dysfunction of vital organs.

What happens if vasculitis is not treated?

Without proper treatment, the disease will progress and become more complicated, often resulting in disability or death.

Forecast

Depends on the form, localization of vasculitis, severity of the disease. In some cases, primary vasculitis goes away without treatment and leaves no consequences at all. In others, the disease develops rapidly and is life-threatening. It is important to consult a general practitioner or rheumatologist in time, immediately after the first symptoms appear. The main danger with most forms of vasculitis is possible complications:

severe cardiovascular diseases, heart attacks with polyarteritis nodosa;
development of infections and pulmonary hemorrhages with microscopic polyarteritis;
infections, renal, respiratory failure, cardiovascular accidents with Wegener's granulomatosis;
partial or complete loss of vision with giant cell arteritis (but overall the prognosis is favorable);
strokes, heart attacks with Takayasu arteritis.

To improve the prognosis, it is important to strictly follow the recommendations of the attending physician, try to prolong the remission of the disease, and eliminate factors that provoke relapses.

Valeria Korol – general practitioner, rheumatologist, Member of the expert council of MedPortal “How to avoid recurrent vasculitis?

— Avoid factors that can provoke an exacerbation of the disease:

Infections
Stress
Exposure to direct sunlight
Unmotivated medication use
To give up smoking
Normalization of body weight
Valeria Korol
general practitioner, rheumatologist"

Specialists.

List of specialists who should be contacted for diagnosis and treatment of allergic vasculitis:

Allergist
Immunologist
Therapist

Additionally, the doctor can refer the patient for a consultation with specialized specialists: a dermatologist, vascular surgeon, venereologist, rheumatologist, etc.

To diagnose, treat and prevent this disease, we invite you to the clinic of the Central Clinical Hospital of the Russian Academy of Sciences, where you can undergo all the necessary examinations.