Vasculitis

Short characteristic of a disease

Vasculitis – inflammations of walls of blood vessels. Depending on what vessels are touched, allocate such types of a vasculitis:

• Phlebitis – is caused by an inflammation of walls of venous vessels.
• Arteriolit – an inflammation of small arteries.
• Arteritis - defeats of walls of arteries.
• Capillaritis – an inflammation of capillaries.

Cases when several vessels are surprised at once are known, it is called a system vasculitis.

Separately allocate the hemorrhagic vasculitis striking vessels of skin, kidneys, a GIT, joints.

Reasons of emergence of a disease

The vasculitis can be primary, developing as an independent disease and it can arise as a complication of certain diseases.

The reasons of primary vasculitis are not established still, and the vasculitis secondary can be shown against the background of persistent, acute infections, the carried-out vaccination, oncological diseases, a strong overheat or cooling, thermal damages of skin, including sunblisters. The vasculitis can develop after injuries or influence of biological poisons, chemicals.

All these negative factors can lead to the fact that the structure of fabrics of vessels will change, and the organism will begin to tear away it, perceiving as foreign, to develop antibodies.

Vasculitis symptoms

Vasculitis symptoms at the beginning of a disease in the majority are similar: fever, the "jumping" temperature - it raises, decreases, and each rise in temperature means that the new inflammation opened.

Characteristic symptom of a vasculitis – skin hemorrhages. After skin defeat goes to muscles, joints, nerves, that is why at a further course of a disease symptoms of a vasculitis differ depending on that what vessels of body inflamed.

At a periarteritis nodular the patient feels muscle pains, sharp abdominal pains, it has a nausea, vomiting, temperature increases.

At temporal giant-cell arteritis weakness, head throbbing pains are felt, there is a swelling in temporal area.

At an aortoarteriita extremities grow dumb and hurt, the back, a stomach hurts, sight is broken, the patient faints.

The hemorrhagic vasculitis begins with skin rashes in the form of symmetric small bruises. Rash is formed on buttocks, around joints, on extensor surfaces of hands and legs. It is possible to see rash on a face, feet and palms, a trunk less often. On these signs primary diagnosis a vasculitis at children is made.

The second characteristic symptom of a hemorrhagic vasculitis – the damage of joints which is followed by pain and/or an inflammation is observed at more than half of the diseased. Usually large joints suffer, their steady damage with functionality disturbance often is not observed.

The third important symptom of a hemorrhagic vasculitis – an abdominal pain. Develops both before damages of skin and joints, and in time. Attacks of pain can last several days. Also there are complaints to nausea, a bad chair, vomiting, temperature increase, gastric and intestinal bleedings in rare instances open.

Diagnosis of a disease

To diagnose a system vasculitis, it is necessary to carry out blood test, urine, a breast X-ray analysis, to investigate vessels.

For definition of a hemorrhagic vasculitis also do the analysis of urine and blood, a breast X-ray analysis. Besides to the patient appoint ultrasonography of a peritoneum if there were signs of damage of kidneys – that and ultrasonography of kidneys. For diagnosis a vasculitis at children in addition can appoint a dynamic nefrostsintigrafiya since there can be an anomaly in development of an urinary system, accumulative and secretory renal function.

At a stage of diagnosis it is important to distinguish a system vasculitis from the infections which are followed by similar rashes, to exclude a Werlhof's disease.

Abdominal pains can arise and at an acute appendicitis, a perforated ulcer, intestinal impassability, ulcer colitis – all these diseases before an initiation of treatment of a vasculitis should be excluded. Also exclude a glomerulonephritis and a lupus erythematosus.

Treatment of a vasculitis

For treatment of a vasculitis appoint the drugs suppressing development of antibodies, reducing sensitivity of fabrics: cytostatics, glucocorticosteroids.

Also at some forms of a hemorrhagic or system vasculitis can appoint procedures for purification of blood – hemosorption and a plasma exchange.

If the disease proceeds benign, is in a remission stage, treatment of a vasculitis consists only in purpose of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, for example, of Voltarenum or indometacin.

In addition at treatment of a vasculitis can appoint the means reducing permeability of vessels and coagulability of blood – for prevention of a thrombogenesis.

Prevention of a disease

For prevention of a vasculitis at children and adults it is necessary to avoid self-treatment and unreasonable performing vaccination, to become tempered, carry out measures for elimination of negative impact of external factors, for example, not to allow an overheat, overcooling, long stay in the sun, to avoid direct contact with toxic chemicals, etc.