Vasculitis
Does vasculitis heal? All about this disease, its causes, its symptoms, and the most commonly used therapies to treat it.
Symptoms and Causes
Vasculitis is a group of diseases characterized by inflammation in the walls of blood vessels (arteries, veins, capillaries, venules), which leads to significant narrowing and damage to the internal walls, potentially compromising blood flow to tissues and causing ischemia (lack of blood supply), which results in damage to tissues dependent on the affected vessel.
Its origin is variable, and it can be triggered by a failure in the immune system, which attacks veins, arteries, and capillaries, causing their inflammation.
This disease can affect various organs in the body, ranging from mild to very severe. In most cases, the inflammation subsides on its own or with specific treatment. There are many types of vasculitis, each affecting different parts of the body and leading to different symptoms. Some of the most common types include:
- Behcet's Disease: manifests throughout the body.
- Kawasaki Disease: damages small and medium-sized blood vessels, lymph nodes, and mucous membranes in the mouth, throat, and nose in children.
- Schönlein-Henoch Vasculitis (or purpura): is a cutaneous, renal, joint, and gastrointestinal vasculitis.
- Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis (or hypersensitivity vasculitis): develops in smaller blood vessels, usually in the skin.
- Buerger's Disease: affects the arms and legs.
- Giant Cell Arteritis: presents in arteries, primarily in the head.
- Takayasu Arteritis: affects the aorta.
- Cryoglobulinemia: produces abnormal cryoglobulins (a type of protein) that impair proper blood flow.
- Churg-Strauss Syndrome: inflammation affects blood vessels in the lungs, nose, heart, kidneys, skin, or gastrointestinal system.
- Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis: hinders blood circulation in the lungs, kidneys, throat, nose, and sinuses.
Symptoms
Since this disease can affect very different organs, the symptoms of vasculitis are highly varied. However, there are some common signs that are very characteristic:
- Headache
- General discomfort
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Weight loss
Depending on the organs affected, other symptoms may manifest, such as:
- Digestive system: blood in the stool or stomach ulcers
- Auditory system: dizziness, ringing in the ears, or sudden hearing loss
- Visual system: itching and redness of the eyes or double vision
- Upper and lower extremities: numbness in the hands or feet
- Respiratory system: shortness of breath or sputum with blood
- Skin: red spots or sores
Causes
The causes of all types of vasculitis are currently unknown, although some have a genetic component. Others are linked to autoimmune disorders in which the body attacks the cells that make up the blood vessels. This immune system failure is associated with blood cancers, lupus, hepatitis B or C, rheumatoid arthritis, or side effects from certain medications.
Risk Factors
Although vasculitis can affect all types of people, it is more common among those over 50 years of age (except for Kawasaki disease), people with family members who have this condition, smokers, drug users, or patients treated with allopurinol, minocycline, or propylthiouracil.
Complications
The complications of vasculitis vary depending on the type of pathology and are not always caused by the disease itself but by some of the treatments administered. Some of the most notable complications include aneurysms, infections, blindness, or blood clots.
Prevention
There is no way to prevent vasculitis, especially since the causes are unknown.
Which doctor treats vasculitis?
Vasculitis is a complex disease whose diagnosis and treatment involve various specialists, including internists, cardiovascular surgeons, rheumatologists, neurologists, and ophthalmologists.
Diagnosis
After listening to the symptoms reported by the patient and studying their medical history, several techniques are typically used to diagnose vasculitis:
- Blood tests to detect inflammation and assess the patient's general health.
- Diagnostic imaging tests such as ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or angiography to clearly observe the condition of the blood vessels and other organs.
- Biopsy to detect the disease by analyzing a tissue sample.
Treatment
The treatment of vasculitis focuses on reducing inflammation, curing associated diseases, and improving the patient's quality of life. This can involve:
- Medications such as corticosteroids, NSAIDs, and immunosuppressants.
- Surgery to remove aneurysms and promote blood flow in the vessels.
- Lifestyle changes, such as reducing alcohol and tobacco consumption, controlling hypercholesterolemia, increasing sleep hours, and encouraging regular exercise.
