Primary vasculitis at high altitude.
We describe a 34-year-old mountaineer who presented with gut infarction from necrotizing vasculitis, probably due to Churg-Strauss syndrome. Subsequently, relapses occurred whenever he climbed to 4000 meters. We hypothesize that the effects of vasculitis were compounded by the physiological changes at high altitude. We suggest that patients with systemic vasculitis should be cautious about climbing and trekking at high altitude.
Mittal
Gayatri
G
Department of Rheumatology, Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor LL57 2PW, North West Wales, UK.
Hasso
Nahreen
N
Maddison
Peter
P
D000328:Adult; D000531:Altitude; D000532:Altitude Sickness / Q000150:complications*; D015267:Churg-Strauss Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007238:Infarction / Q000209:etiology*; D007422:Intestines / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D009051:Mountaineering / Q000502:physiology; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome