Vasculitis

Introduction

Source: NHS

In this topic (5)

Vasculitis means "inflammation of the blood vessels".

Inflammation isyour immune system's natural response to injury or infection. It causes swelling, and can help the body deal with invading germs.

But in vasculitis, for some reason theimmune system attacks healthy blood vessels, causing them to becomeswollen and narrow. This may be triggeredby an infection or medication,although often the cause is unknown.

Vasculitis can range from a minor problem that just affects the skin, to a more serious illness that causes problems with organs such as the heart or kidneys.

There are many types of vasculitis. This page covers:

Articles for Vasculitis

Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Churg-Strauss syndrome)

Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, also called Churg-Strauss syndrome,is a type of vasculitis that mainly affects adults aged 30 to 45. It can cause: Asthma allergic rhinitis ( co

Giant cell arteritis (temporal arteritis)

Giant cell arteritisis a type of vasculitis that often affects the arteries in the head and neck.Itmostly occurs inadults over the age of 50. It's sometimes called temporal arteritis becausethe arter

Introduction

Find out about the main types of vasculitis, with links to more information.

Other types of vasculitis

Othertypes of vasculitis include: Behet's disease typicallycauses mouth ulcers and genital ulcers, and is more common in people from Greece, Turkey, the Middle East, China and Japan Buerger's

Polymyalgia rheumatica

Polymyalgia rheumatica is a type of vasculitis that's closely related to giant cell arteritis (see above).Itmostly occurs inadults over 50 and is more common in women than men. It can cause: pain