[Clinical analysis of 91 cases of median and small vessel vasculitis in adults].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the clinical and biological differences between medium sized vessel vasculitis and small vessel vasculitis.


METHODS
descriptive and retrospective study of 91 patients with vasculitis attended in our hospital from January 1991 to mars 2001. We describe the characteristics of clinical and analytic features.


RESULTS
57% were males. The mean age was 61.9 +/- 18.6 years (17 to 90 years). The symptoms and affected organs were: palpable purpura (89%), fever (36%), asthenia (20%), arthromyalgias (19%), nephropathy (18%), arthritis (16%), abdominal pain (16%), neuropathy (8.7%), pulmonary involvement (6.5%). 25% had several episodes, lasting clinical, chronic disease, 42% had evidence of two or more involve organs. The patients with pauci-inmune vasculitis presented more asthenia, nephritis, pulmonary involvement, multi-organic involvement and mortality related to the process. We did not found significant differences respect to the others clinical manifestations analysed.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a substantial overlap among different vasculitis, the presence or absence of some clinical and biological features can help in the differentiation and characterization of the different entitles.
González Quijada
S
S
Sección de Medicina Interna, 8a planta, Hospital General Yagüe, Avda. Cid Campeador, 96, 09005 Burgos.
Sevil Puras
M
M
Valledor
A R
AR
Loma
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis