Vasculitis
Vasculitis (plural: vasculitides) is a group of disorders that destroy blood vessels by inflammation. Both arteries and veins are affected. Lymphangitis is sometimes considered a type of vasculitis. Vasculitis is primarily caused by leukocyte migration and resultant damage.
Although both occur in vasculitis, inflammation of veins (phlebitis) or arteries (arteritis) on their own are separate entities.
Signs and symptoms
Possible symptoms include:
General symptoms: Fever, weight loss
Skin: Palpable purpura, livedo reticularis
Muscles and joints: Myalgia or myositis, arthralgia or arthritis
Nervous system: Mononeuritis multiplex, headache, stroke, tinnitus, reduced visual acuity, acute visual loss
Heart and arteries: Myocardial infarction, hypertension, gangrene
Respiratory tract: Nose bleeds, bloody cough, lung infiltrates
GI tract: Abdominal pain, bloody stool, perforations
Kidneys: Glomerulonephritis
Cause
Classification
Vasculitis can be classified by the cause, the location, the type of vessel or the size of vessel.