title: Histopathological atlas of renal diseases: ANCA-associated vasculitis (first part).
abstract: "ANCA-associated vasculitis" are Wegener's Granulomatosis, Micropolyarteritis and its renal-limited variant (previously called idiopathic necrotizing glomerulonephritis). According to the "Chapel Hill Consensus Conference" classification, ANCA-associated vasculitis are characterized by prevalent involvement of small-size vessels, whereas medium and large-size arteries involvement is the marker of Polyarteritis Nodosa. But the vessel size-based classification is not always powerful enough, because also in ANCA-associated vasculitis the involvement of medium and large-size arteries if frequent. The distinctive marker of ANCA-associated renal vasculitis has therefore become the presence of necrotizing extracapillary glomerulonephritis, that is always absent in Polyarteritis Nodosa.
authors.affiliation: Renal Immunopathology Center, S. Carlo Borromeo Hospital and Nuova Nefrologia Research Association, Milan, Italy. franco.ferrario@oscb.sined.net
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferrario
authors.forename: Maria Pia
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Rastaldi
mesh_terms: D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic / Q000032:analysis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000473:pathology*; D014890:Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D010488:Polyarteritis Nodosa / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic; D015415:Biomarkers