Vasculitis.

Abstract

Inflammatory changes in blood vessels are a prominent feature of several diseases, which can be categorized by the size of the vessels, the nature of the inflammatory exudate, and the specific organs involved. The clinical and laboratory findings are variable and frequently nonspecific. Therapy ranges from essentially just observation to high-dose steroids combined with immunosuppressive agents, but treatment must be individualized. Early and correct diagnosis is thus important, but because there is considerable overlap between diseases, especially in the leukocytoclastic vasculitis group, one should never delay initiation of therapy while one is trying to finalize the diagnosis, particularly when the patient may be deteriorating rapidly.