VASCULITIS
Vasculitis is the collective name for a group of serious, chronic auto-immune diseases in which the wall of the blood vessels gets inflamed.
Vasculitides (plural of vasculitis) can occur as a standalone disease of unknown cause or as a side effect of another disease.
In the former case we speak of a primary vasculitis, in the latter case of a secondary vasculitis.
Sometimes a vasculitis only occurs in a certain part of the body. However, it often shows itself in a form that can occur throughout the body. We then speak of a systemic vasculitis.
Vasculitis International mainly focuses on the primary, systemic types of vasculitis.
The so-called Chapel Hill classification defines the different types of vasculitis according to the size of the blood vessels affected.
LARGE VESSEL VASCULITIS (LVV)
- GCA Giant Cell Arteritis (Arteritis Temporalis)
- TAK Takayasu Disease
MEDIUM VESSEL VASCULITIS (MVV)
- PAN Polyarteritis Nodosa
- KD Kawasaki Disease
SMALL VESSEL VASCULITIS (SVV)
- GPA Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (Wegener’s)
- EGPA Eosinofile Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis
- MPA Microscopic Polyangiitis
(collectively referred to as ANCA Associated SVV)
- Anti GBM Disease (Good Pasture)
- IgA vasculitis (Henoch-Schönlein)
- CV Cryoglobulinemic Vasculitis
- Anti C1q vasculitis
(collectively referred to as Immune Complex SVV)
VARIABLE VESSEL VASCULITIS
- Behçet Disease
- Cogan’s Syndrome
SPECIFIC ORGAN VASCULITIS
Cutane leukocytoclastic angiitis (CLA), Cutane Arteritis, Primary CNS vasculitis, Isolated Otitis, and other.