Vasculitis

Vasculitis Symptoms and Diagnosis

Symptoms of vasculitis may vary depending on where in your body the condition develops. The most common symptoms include:

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Generalized pain and/or headaches
• Shortness of breath and/or coughing (if lungs are affected)
• Skin rashes
• Numbness or pain in the hands or feet.

Vasculitis can affect anyone, but it is not a common condition: only one to two new cases per 50,000 people are found each year, according to the Society for Vascular Surgery. There are three types of vasculitis: small-, medium- or large-vessel disease.

Research has shown that both genetic factors (inheritance) and environmental factors (such as bacterial, viral and fungal infections) may be causes of vasculitis.

Vasculitis is not always easy to diagnose, as symptoms could be a sign of many other conditions.  If your doctor thinks you may have vasculitis, based on your symptoms and a physical exam, you will be referred to a vascular surgeon for further examination and testing.

Tests that can help determine whether you have vasculitis, and the type, include:

• Blood tests to check for inflammation and blood proteins that are common in vasculitis patients
• Biopsy to check tissue that shows signs of being affected by vasculitis
• Angiography, an X-ray of the blood vessels
• MRI or CT scans

Vasculitis can occur from time to time (episodic) or last a lifetime. Patients tend to have episodes, or flares, over several years at a time.