title: Diagnosis of vasculitis.
abstract: Vasculitis is a process that results from the inflammation of blood vessels and can occur de novo or secondary to a variety of diseases or drugs. Clinical presentation depends on the size and distribution of vessels involved. Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) have been shown to have variable sensitivity in making the diagnosis of specific vasculitic syndromes, therefore histological confirmation may be necessary. Angiography is a useful tool in evaluating disease of large and medium-sized vessels that are inaccessible or potentially dangerous to biopsy. New imaging modalities are becoming more useful in diagnosing vessel wall changes, particularly in large-vessel vasculitides. In clinical practice it is not always possible to classify or apply a specific label to a patient with vasculitis, but for appropriate patient management it is important to define the extent and severity of disease and to exclude underlying secondary causes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology, Georgetown University Medical Center, 3800 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mohan
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Kerr
mesh_terms: D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic / Q000097:blood; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000097:blood / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic