Vascularitis, also called angelitis, is inflammation of blood vessels that can only affect one or more vessels, or even different organs in the body. Thus, the main consequence of vascularitis is the reduction or blockage of blood flow in the affected vessel, which can lead to ischemia, which is a lack of oxygen in the tissues and can lead to necrosis of the inflamed area.
Vascularitis can be classified according to causes and symptoms according to:
- Diagnosis of both types of vascularitis is done by blood tests and laboratory imaging.
- It is important that your doctor monitors the severity of the disease and indicates the most specific treatment.
- Which may be with corticosteroids or immunosuppressants.
The causes of the onset of vascularitis are not entirely clear, but in most cases it seems to be linked to an autoimmune disease, so genetic predisposition is thought to be one of the important factors in its manifestation.
However, there are currently environmental factors that show the ability to develop vascularitis in the person, such as the use of cocaine or amphetamines, the presence of viruses such as hepatitis B or C and parvovirus B19. In addition, vascularitis can also be caused by side effects of certain medications, such as penicillin, propyliouracil, hydralazine, minocycline or exposure to silica.
Because any blood vessel in the body can be affected, vascularitis can cause different symptoms depending on the region or organ affected by the disease. Thus, symptoms of vascularitis depending on the affected region may be:
Other symptoms that may also be present in vascularitis include unexplained weight loss, recurrent body pain, extreme fatigue, loss of appetite, discomfort or fever.
If vascularitis is suspected, it is important to seek medical attention as soon as possible, as vascularitis can cause serious damage to organs such as the lungs or kidneys.
Diagnosis of vascularitis is made by the angiologist or rheumatologist and will be performed after the analysis of the person’s history of the disease, and in some cases laboratory tests such as the detection of anticytoma antibodies (ANCA), which are antibodies that attack the cytoplasm. , can be requested. , urine, electrolyte, creatinine, complete blood tests and FAN tests, which aims to detect the presence of autoantibodies in the blood. Understand what the FAN test is and how it develops.
If vascularitis is suspected of affecting an organ, tests may also be required to evaluate the function of the affected organs, such as MRI, ultrasound, and CT scans, as well as a biopsy.
Treatment of different forms of vascularitis is done according to the cause of inflammation and the severity of the person’s condition. In some cases, treatment is done with corticosteroids, such as hydrocortisone, dexamethasone, mummiesone and betamethasone, for example, in addition to immunosuppressants such as azathioprine, cyclophosphamide or mycophenolate. Find out what types of corticosteroids are used for.
However, in severe vascularitis, which affects the organs, the individual must remain admitted to the hospital for appropriate treatment; In some cases, surgery is needed to restore blood flow to the vessel affected by inflammation.
Alongside drug treatment, the current practice of light physical exercise, adequate rest, healthy eating and reduced stress levels has been shown to be important and with excellent results for the treatment of vascularitis.