Vasculitis (blood vessel rheumatism)

 

Vasculitis (blood vessel rheumatism)

Vasculitis (blood vessel rheumatism) is a rare rheumatic disease and is understood as an inflammation of the blood vessels. According to the German Rheuma League, around 16,500 Germans suffer from vasculitis. It affects people of all ages, women, and men equally often lifebloombeauty.

What is the cause of blood vessel rheumatism?

The immune system has the task of fending off viruses and bacteria. To ensure this, the immune cells have to identify whether it is an endogenous cell, a bacterium, or a virus within a short time. All rheumatic diseases have in common that errors occur in identification and defense. The body's structures are mistaken for bacteria and attacked by the immune system futuretechexpert.

Such incorrect reactions can also attack the walls of blood vessels. Since every human organ is supplied by blood vessels, almost every organ can be damaged as part of such inflammations.

Which blood vessels are affected?

Vasculitis is secret based on the size of the blood vessels involved. When microscopic blood vessels become inflamed, we speak of small-vessel vasculitis. This refers to capillaries, arterioles, and venules that are not visible to the naked eye. The inflammation of large blood vessels, such as the main artery (aorta), the carotid artery, or the temporal artery, is called large-vessel vasculitis.

There are several different clinical pictures that rheumatologists precisely assign. A typical small- vessel vasculitis is granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's granulomatosis). A specific large vessel vasculitis is giant cell arteritis (temporal arteritis).

How is the diagnosis made?

The diagnosis of vasculitis is difficult because the diseases' courses are very different, and almost every organ in the human body can be affected.

If a rheumatologist suspects small vessel vasculitis, he will try to obtain a tissue sample from the affected organ. The inflamed blood vessels are so small that they can only be assessed under a microscope.

If the rheumatologist suspects large vessel vasculitis, he will examine the affected blood vessels with ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or other special procedures.

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What complaints do you have?

Every human organ is supplied by blood vessels. If these become infected, this can have consequences for the organ's function. The rheumatologist must thoroughly examine each organ to see if there is any inflammation of the organ's blood vessels. Vasculitis can cause a variety of conditions:

·        General symptoms of

fever, fatigue, and weight loss indicate inflammatory activity and a generalized stage if vasculitis diagnosis is confirmed.

·        ENT tract, upper respiratory tract

Inflammation of the nasopharynx's blood vessels can damage the nasal septum, tympanic effusions, and destruction of the nasal cartilage ("saddle nose"), and chronic inflammation of the trachea. Chronic bloody runny nose and chronic sinus infections can be the result.

·        Lungs

An immunologically mediated inflammation of the lungs' capillaries leads to bleeding into the lungs. An increase in the number of connective tissue fibers increases the lungs' stiffness (pulmonary fibrosis), impairs respiratory function.

·        Kidney

Inflammation of the calyxes (glomerulonephritis) is one of the most threatening manifestations of small-vessel vasculitis and causes kidney function deterioration.

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·        Peripheral nerves

Peripheral nerves are often affected, and the inflammation can lead to nerve failure. Peripheral nerve failures can develop dramatically within a short time ("overnight").

·        Eye

Inflammation of the outer choroid (scleritis) and the eye's middle skin (uveitis) are possible manifestations of small-vessel vasculitis. Inadequate treatment of both clinical manifestations can lead to deterioration in vision.

·        Heart

Involvement of the heart in the form of muscle inflammation (myocarditis) or pericarditis (pericarditis) is often decisive for the disease's overall course prognosis. It should be noted that patients with vasculitis have an increased risk profile for coronary artery occlusion (coronary artery disease).

·        Joints/muscles

Muscle pain, joint pain, and joint inflammation occur with all vasculitides but are usually less dangerous than rheumatoid arthritis.

·        The central nervous system (brain, meninges)

The cranial nerves or the meninges (meningitis) can be associated with severe clinical courses but is somewhat rare compared to the other organ manifestations. The symptoms can resemble a stroke.

·        Skin

The swelling of the minor blood vessels in the skin is widespread. Many red spots a few millimeters in size (petechiae) on the lower legs are typical. Particularly severe inflammation can lead to chronic wounds.

·        Gastrointestinal

the inflammatory activity of gastrointestinal vasculitis is found in some small vessel vasculitis. It must be borne in attention that problems in the stomach and intestines can also occur in the context of adverse drug effects and must be distinguished from inflammation.

·        Bone

Osteoporosis is common and essential for concomitant disease's rehabilitation process in patients with vasculitis. This is due to the disease activity itself, long-term cortisone administration, and disease-related immobility.

·        Psychological comorbidities

Vasculitis is a potentially life-threatening disease that has a recurrence in many cases. Depression and anxiety disorders can result. Also, psychological manifestations are possible as adverse drug effects from high-dose cortisone.

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