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6 Interesting Facts of Medium Vessel Vasculitides
- 1. Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) should be considered in any noninfected, systemically ill patient who has multiple organ involvement including the peripheral nerves, skin, gut, and/or kidney.
- 2. PAN does not affect the lung and sinuses and is not an antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis.
- 3. Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated PAN is treated differently than idiopathic PAN.
- 4. Thromboangiitis obliterans (TO) occurs in both sexes, affects any distal extremity, and is associated with tobacco use.
- 5. Primary angiitis/vasculitis of the central nervous system (PACNS/PCNSV) has an insidious onset of multiple neurologic abnormalities, with an abnormal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
- 6. Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) has an acute onset of headache, normal CSF, and reversible angiographic findings.
What are the medium vessel vasculitides?
• Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN).
• Kawasaki’s disease.
• Thromboangiitis obliterans (TO) (Buerger’s disease).
• PACNS.
Can other sized vessels be involved in the medium vessel vasculitides?
Yes, pathologic changes are not restricted to medium-sized vessels alone. Small-vessel changes are also often found.
