Lupus vasculitis

Lupus vasculitis
Cutaneous small-vessel vasculitis. Bilateral palpable purpura and necrotic lesions
SpecialtyRheumatology

Lupus vasculitis is one of the secondary vasculitides that occurs in approximately 50% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).[1]

Large vessel involvement is extremely uncommon; medium-sized vessels can also be impacted, but small vessels are the most frequently linked to it. Lupus vasculitis can affect multiple organ systems and show up as a wide range of clinical manifestations depending on the location and size of the affected vessels.[2]

Lupus vasculitis typically indicates a dismal prognosis, so early diagnosis is essential to a successful outcome.[2] The disease can affect small vessels or a single organ, and it can range in severity from a relatively mild condition to a multiorgan system disease with potentially fatal symptoms, like mesenteric vasculitis,[3] pulmonary hemorrhage,[4] or mononeuritis multiplex.[5]

The organs affected and the severity of the vasculitis process determine the course of treatment.[6]

  1. ^ Doyle, Mittie K. (2006). "Vasculitis associated with connective tissue disorders". Current Rheumatology Reports. 8 (4). Springer Science and Business Media LLC: 312–316. doi:10.1007/s11926-006-0015-5. ISSN 1523-3774. PMID 16839511. S2CID 33335949.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Systemic Vasculitides book was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lupus enteritis was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Pulmonary alveolar hemorrhage was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Peripheral nervous system involvement was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference EULAR was invoked but never defined (see the help page).