What is vasculitis?

4 May 2021

It refers to a group of diseases characterized by blood vessels (arteries and veins) inflammation, which causes a narrowing of the ducts, decreasing the amount of blood that flows through them, with the possible involvement of organs and tissues.

There are various types of vasculitis, the causes of which are uncertain, but it is believed to be an autoimmune condition associated mainly with genetics, although it has been found that in some cases it is due to viral infections such as hepatitis B and C, leukemia, and reactions to specific drugs.

Vasculitis can be mild or severe, putting the person’s life at risk, and appears once or several times in different years.

Most frequent types of vasculitis:

Cryoglobulinemia.
Henoch-Schönlein purpura.
Kawasaki disease.
Buerger disease.
Behcet disease.
Giant cell arteritis.
Takayasu’s arteritis.

Signs and symptoms Vasculitis

Vasculitis can greatly impair blood flow to tissues throughout the body, causing damage to various organs. So it has varied symptoms:

Numbness or weakness in a hand or foot.
Tiredness.
Bluish color on the fingers and toes.
Nasal congestion and pain.
Difficulty breathing.
Aching joints.
High fever.
General discomfort.
Red spots, nodules, or sores on the skin.
Decreased body weight.
Coughing fits.

Development of local symptoms concerning the affected organ:

Difficulty swallowing.
Partial or total loss of vision.
Hearing loss
Abdominal pain.
Chest pain.
High blood pressure.
Kidney failure.
Pulmonary insufficiency.
Motor problems.
Blood in the urine or stool.

Potential risks:

Permanent damage to the structure or function of the compromised area.
Tissue infections.
Necrosis.

Diagnosis and treatment Vasculitis

Once your doctor analyzes your symptoms and clinical history, they will perform a complete physical examination, will request blood and urine tests, as well as various diagnostic tests, such as:

Angiography.
C-reactive protein test.
X-rays.
MRI.
Computed tomography.
Ultrasound.

Treatment consists mainly of the administration of various drugs, usually corticosteroids, the dose of which will depend on the degree of involvement of the specific organ.

At ABC Medical Center’s Internal Medicine Department, we offer health care services with the highest quality and safety, from the prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and monitoring of infectious, respiratory, endocrinological, dermatological, rheumatic, nephrological, gastrointestinal, and hematological pathologies of both chronic-degenerative diseases and acute conditions, through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary model.

Related centers and departments Vasculitis

Internal medicine
Radiology and Molecular Imaging
Clinical Laboratory

Fuentes:

rheumatology.org
linforeuma.com
medlineplus.gov
msdmanuals.com
topdoctors.com
medigraphic.com
Gálvez VJF, Martínez OJF, Vásquez BSP, et al. Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody associated vasculitis: microscopic polyangiitis. Rev Cub de Reu. 2020;22(Suppl: 1):.
Mercado U, Arzola E, Sepúlveda R. Lo que deberías conocer acerca de las vasculitis de vasos pequeños asociadas con ANCA. Med Int Mex. 2021;37(5):827-833.
Yeom SJH, Barboza MM, Pérez-Rojas R. Vasculitis primaria del sistema nervioso central: reporte de un caso. Rev Med Cos Cen. 2020;86(630):50-53.
Sánchez SS, Navarro BAL, López SEA. Vasculitis IgA en el adulto. Informe de caso. Medisur. 2021;19(1):175-181.

How can we help you?

The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the ABC Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.

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Comparison of COVID-19 vaccines

Pfizer-
BioNTech

Pfizer-BioNTech

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vaccine type: mRNA
Effectiveness: 95% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

No Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 21 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

Who should or shouldn’t get the vaccine?
People who should receive the vaccine are those over 16 years old.
People who should not receive the vaccine are those who have a history of anaphylactic shock (severe allergy) or who are allergic to any component of this vaccine such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polysorbate.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever, nausea, malaise, and swollen lymph nodes.

How long will it take for me to be protected and what does it protect me from?
After 14 days of having the complete scheme (after the administration of the 2nd dose), the protection period is still under study. It protects us from serious COVID-19 or requiring hospitalization.

Moderna

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vaccine type: mRNA
Effectiveness: 94.5% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 28 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

Who should or shouldn’t get the vaccine?
People who should receive the vaccine are those over 18 years old.
People who should not receive the vaccine are those who have a history of anaphylactic shock (severe allergy) or who are allergic to any component of this vaccine.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever, nausea, and swollen lymph nodes in the arm in which you received the injection.

Janssen/
Johnson
& Johnson

Janssen/ Johnson & Johnson

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 72.0% in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.
85% in the prevention of severe COVID-19.

Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives./strong>

How many doses are needed?
Only one dose in needed.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, headache, fatigue, muscle pain, chills, fever, and nausea.

How long will it take for me to be protected and what does it protect me from?
After 28 days of having the complete scheme (the last dose applied), the protection period is still under study. It protects us from 85% serious COVID-19 or requiring hospitalization.

AstraZeneca
and
Oxford
University

AstraZeneca and Oxford University

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Adenovirus vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 82% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 56 days apart (or up to 84 days apart, if necessary).

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, and fever, which were mild to moderate in intensity and disappeared within 48 hours of vaccination.

Sputnik V

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Adenovirus vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 92% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 21 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

What is vasculitis?

Signs and symptoms Vasculitis

Diagnosis and treatment Vasculitis

Related centers and departments Vasculitis

Fuentes:

Index

Specialist in Vasculitis