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LFNC Newsletter Preview:
The Truth About Vasculitis
Vasculitis is blood vessel inflammation that causes fever, pain, local tenderness, and other evidence of blocked blood vessels. When a blood vessel becomes inflamed and narrowed, blood supply to that area can become partially or completely blocked. Complete blockage causes the vessel wall to swell and makes things stick to the wall -- so a clot forms. When vasculitis interferes with circulation in any part of the body, it causes local tenderness and pain. If the blood vessels are close to the skin, characteristic rashes occur.
All of the rheumatic diseases, including lupus, involve some level of underlying vasculitis. Vasculitis is a common finding in these diseases, important in diagnosis, but it doesn't necessarily mean anything more. It may never be a problem! However, there are times in lupus and RA when the disease takes a different course in the presence of vasculitis. You start getting sicker and developing a fever, both of which are clues to the physician that there has been a change in the course of illness.
Vasculitis may be serious, but is not serious in most cases in people with lupus and other rheumatic diseases. Trivial vasculitis in rheumatic diseases, particulary of the small vessls, may not even require any change in treatment. However, when serious vasculitis occurs, very aggressive therapy is necessary, depending on the cause. In serious vasculitis related to lupus and other autoimmune diseases, aggressive therapy with prednisone and other immunsuppressants is essential.
Source: Michael D. Lockshin, MD, attending Rheumatologist, Hospital for Special Surgery. Watch for the full article about Vasculitis by Dr. Lockshin in LFNC's upcoming newsletter, coming to your mailbox in October.
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LUPUS FOUNDATION OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
