Which vessels are affected by primary vasculitic disease?
Although all vessels may be damaged in vasculitis, different vasculitides affect different vessel types.
The aorta is selectively damaged in Takayasu’s arteritis, whereas giant cell arteritis more commonly affects the temporal, vertebral, and carotid arteries.
Medium-sized muscular intracerebral arteries are affected in polyarteritis nodosa (PAN), allergic granulomatosis, and granulomatous angiitis, whereas small muscular arteries are thrombosed in Wegener’s granulomatosis.
Hypersensitivity angiitis selectively involves capillaries and venules, sparing the arterial system.
