Autoimmune vasculitis is an inflammation of the walls of blood vessels. A disturbed immune system affects those that are located in the dermis on the surface, as well as in the deep layer and internal organs. Many patients do not know what kind of disease it is - vasculitis. Photos of patients with this disease will be presented below.
Factors influencing the development of this pathology are long-acting allergic agents on the human body. For example, we are talking about medicines, fluff and pollen, house and book dust. Infectious chronic ailments (an affected tooth along with otitis media, tonsillitis, mycosis) can also cause the disease. In children, autoimmune vasculitis may occur due to an allergy to the vaccine. The problem may also lie in a hereditary immunodeficiency condition, which is not always diagnosed at an early stage of development. Consider this disease in more detail.
Symptoms
Autoimmune vasculitis is usuallymanifests itself with prolonged influence of the agent on the immune system, causing aggression against the walls of blood vessels. The symptomatology of pathology directly depends on the form and variety, of which there are quite a few. Early signs are similar to those of most inflammatory and infectious diseases, so patients may experience fever along with weakness, headache, fatigue, muscle soreness, and so on.
The symptoms of autoimmune vasculitis are quite unpleasant. With the development of the pathological process, manifestations of the primary and secondary forms of the disease appear. The first type involves an independent disease, consisting in inflammation of the vessels, which is associated with an immune origin. The secondary form serves as a consequence and a sign of a certain autoimmune failure in the body, and also often becomes the result of infections, helminth infections, the action of toxins, chemical drugs, radiation, and the like. Among the systemic pathologies, the symptoms of which may be the ailment we are describing, it is worth mentioning diabetes along with lupus erythematosus and sarcoidosis.
Next, find out if vasculitis is an autoimmune disease or not.
Reasons
Doctors are still unable to determine the provocateurs of the disease in question. First of all, there is an opinion that autoimmune vasculitis is hereditary and is associated with impaired immunity, plus all kinds of negative factors play their role along with infection with Staphylococcus aureus. What can happen as the causes of the disease?This is for example:
- The result of an allergic reaction to medical drugs, pollen, dust, fluff and so on.
- Influence of autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus, thyroid pathology.
- Vaccination and sunbathing abuse factor.
- The consequence of injury, along with the negative reaction of the body to various chemicals, as well as poisons.
- Hypocooling of the body.
Diagnosis
The sooner you conduct an examination, establish a diagnosis and start treatment, the more chances a patient has to avoid damage to important organs and failure of their functions. If necessary, doctors prescribe to patients consultations of such specialists as a vascular surgeon, internist, ophthalmologist, neurologist, otolaryngologist and others. The diagnosis is usually made on the basis of a number of the following data:
- Physical examination.
- Performing laboratory tests.
Tests for autoimmune vasculitis should be taken as follows:
- General blood test (in this case, patients usually notice an increase in ESR).
- Carrying out a biochemical blood test (studying the state of protein fractions).
- Immunological sampling (gamma globulin, C-reactive protein, rheumatoid factors, etc.).
- HBsAg blood testing in case of suspected viral hepatitis.
In addition, instrumental methods can be used in the form of ultrasound dopplerography, radiography, angiography (in this case, a studyvessels through contrast agents) and computed tomography.
What is the treatment for symptoms of autoimmune vasculitis?
Therapy of this pathology
Can this disease be cured? This is a fairly common question that is asked by rheumatologists. A favorable prognosis should be counted on only if therapy is started in a timely manner at an early stage, until the disease has passed into the so-called chronic type.
Treatment of vasculitis, photo manifestations of which can be found on specialized resources, will differ depending on the type of pathology. In addition, physicians take into account the underlying disease (when the disease is secondary), along with the extent of the pathogenic process and the involvement of tissues and internal organs. The main task is to prevent life-threatening complications. For therapy, many different methods are used. Symptoms and treatment of autoimmune vasculitis, like most ailments, are interrelated.
Doctors can prescribe the following drugs to patients:
- Immunosuppressants that inhibit autoimmunity.
- Cytostatics that stop the development of immune inflammation.
- Drugs that prevent blood clots.
- Anti-inflammatory drugs and hormonal drugs.
Plasmapheresis procedures can be prescribed, which are aimed at cleansing organs and systems, as well as blood from toxins. It should be borne in mind that this is a very serious disease, effective treatmentwhich should take place strictly under the supervision of a rheumatologist.
It is impossible to answer unambiguously the question: "Vasculitis - is it an autoimmune disease or not?" Consider the features of its course in adults.
The manifestation of this disease in adults
The disease, depending on age, manifests itself in various forms. For example, adults have cutaneous, systemic, allergic, urticarial, and cryoglobulinemic autoimmune vasculitis. As for children, they are more likely to experience Kawasaki syndrome and a hemorrhagic type of pathology. Let's talk about these varieties in more detail.
Skin vasculitis
Skin vasculitis - what is this disease? The symptoms (see photo at the beginning of the review) of this disease are due to the fact that this form of the disease affects the vessels of the dermis of small and medium diameter, but does not affect the capillaries of the internal organs. It is diagnosed with a biopsy, since skin vasculitis is similar in appearance to some diseases:
- Capillary effusion (purpura).
- Damage to skin vessels (petechiae).
- Nodules and urticaria.
- Formation of reticular levedo due to stagnation in blood capillaries.
Skin vasculitis can develop against the background of systemic abnormalities, and then the symptoms will be supplemented by fever and joint pain.
Allergic type
This type of autoimmune vasculitis presents with the following symptoms:
- Appearance of nodules, hemorrhagic, erythematous spots and rashes.
- Development of skin infarction, resulting inthe formation of a dark crust in the area of the rash.
- Bleeding under toenails.
- Presence of joint and muscle pain.
- Burning, squeezing discomfort or itching at the site of the rash.
The allergic form is mainly manifested by a rash on the thighs, feet, legs, and with a generalized character, visual manifestations are added on the trunk and forearms. The category of allergic vasculitis includes Bazin's indurative erythema, acute and chronic erythema nodosum, Behcet's syndrome, temporal angiitis, which have specific symptoms.
Acute erythema nodosum is characterized by large nodules with discoloration of the skin underneath, usually from red to green. Behcet's disease affects mainly the mucous membranes of the eyes, mouth and skin with the formation of ulcers and erosions. When temporal or senile angiitis occurs, older women may suffer from prolonged pain in the temple area.
System character
This type of pathology occurs against the background of violations of immune mechanisms in various systemic diseases, which are characterized by damage to connective tissues (with rheumatism, granulomatosis, lupus erythematosus, and more). In this case, the disease has the following symptoms:
- Destructive changes in the walls of the vessels of the respiratory system.
- Ulcerated granulomas on the mucous membrane of the mouth, nose and bronchi.
- Appearance of glomerulonephritis.
- The occurrence of severe complications on the internal organs,skin, organs of vision and nervous system.
With rheumatism, the pathology spreads to the entire body and manifests itself depending on the stage of the disease. In addition to the skin, the vascular system of internal organs and the brain is affected, with a subsequent risk of bleeding.
Cryoglobulinemic autoimmune type
One of the varieties of the systemic form of the disease is cryoglobulinemic autoimmune vasculitis, in which cryoglobulin proteins appear in blood cells, which are deposited on the walls of blood vessels and destroy them.
The disease is characterized by a progressive form of the course, and its characteristic symptom (in addition to those common to all types of the disease) is a violation of sensitivity and damage to peripheral nerves. In the absence of adequate treatment, cryoglobulinemic vasculitis can cause the patient to lose speech and sometimes lead to motor paralysis.
Let's continue to consider the classification of vasculitis.
Urticary type
In another way, it is also called angiitis, which is one of the allergic pathologies characterized by chronic inflammation of the superficial vessels of the skin. At the initial stage of development, the disease is often diagnosed as chronic urticaria. The following symptoms are characteristic of the disease:
- Waving current along with the appearance of hemorrhagic nodes, spots, blisters on the skin.
- Burning sensation in the affected area.
- The appearance of a headache, discomfort in the joints, muscles, lower back and abdomen.
- Fever and glomerulonephritis.
The disease is diagnosed by immunofluorescence and through a histological examination of the affected area of the dermis.
In children
This pathology in babies is quite rare. However, all varieties differ in characteristic features of the flow. Treatment of vasculitis in children should be comprehensive and timely.
Kawasaki Syndrome
This systemic form of autoimmune vasculitis is diagnosed most often in children under seven years of age and is characterized by damage to the vessels of the lymph nodes, heart and mucous membrane of the respiratory system. The clinical picture is characterized by an acute rapid onset with a temperature of thirty-eight to forty-one degrees and the following symptoms (in order of gradual appearance):
- The occurrence of a debilitating fever.
- Scarlet fever-like rash with erythematous plaques.
- Injury to the mucous membrane of the respiratory system, nose, and eyes.
- The appearance of thickening and redness of the skin on the palms.
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck and the presence of crimson tongue.
- Presence of peeling of the skin around the nails, and, in addition, on the phalanges of the fingers.
- The defeat of the cardiac and vascular systems in the acute phase, aneurysms.
This is a medical condition that can be cured if it is diagnosed in time, and its consequences are usually eliminated after five to eight years.
Autoimmune hemorrhagic vasculitis
It is worth noting that adults have thisthe type of pathology can be caused by various abnormalities during pregnancy, diabetic nephropathy, cirrhosis of the liver, malignant neoplasms. And the cause of this form of the disease in children is often upper respiratory tract infections, along with measles, paratyphoid fever, drug or food allergies. Hemorrhagic vasculitis in young patients is divided into the following forms: skin, skin-articular, abdominal, renal and skin-renal types. Each of them has its own specific symptoms:
- With the skin form, pronounced edema can be observed as a result of cold urticaria, purpura, rashes on the feet with a gradual spread to the thighs. Among other things, there is pain in the joints.
- The abdominal form suggests a severe course in children with severe pain in the abdomen, localized near the navel.
- Renal form indicates the presence of globulins and proteins in the urine.
Hemorrhagic vasculitis is extremely dangerous with all sorts of complications, a tendency to generalization, that is, to spread to the vascular system of internal organs and to relapse.
Diagnosing a hemorrhagic type of disease
The main clinical signs in the framework of the diagnosis of the disease are palpable skin hemorrhages, the patient's age is not more than twenty years, and, in addition, migratory abdominal pain. Laboratory criteria are:
- Identification of granulocytes in arteriole biopsy.
- Study of increasing concentrations of the IgA immunocomplex.
- WhenIn the presence of the renal form, patients have gross hematuria in combination with proteinuria.
How to treat this type of autoimmune vasculitis, it is better to find out in advance.
Treatment of hemorrhagic vasculitis
Given the pathogenesis of the disease, drugs are used in the treatment that prevent the formation of blood clots. For example, we are talking about antiplatelet agents, modern heparins and fibrinolysis activators. In severe cases, doctors use plasmapheresis and glucocorticoids.
Limb disease
Such a pathology as vasculitis of the extremities differs in that different organs and tissues are involved in the pathological process. The most common cause is vascular inflammation. The manifestations of the disease appear in the form of subcutaneous hemorrhage. In this regard, many patients try to cure the manifestation of vasculitis in the legs as soon as possible. Due to damage to the blood lines in the human body, processes are triggered during which vasoconstriction occurs with the death of some tissues.
How can this limb ailment be cured?
First of all, patients must pass all the required tests, which will certainly indicate the form of the pathology and the various characteristics of the body, which is very important in prescribing therapy. A course of treatment by a dermatologist is attributed. They are also assigned a comprehensive diagnosis. Before using any means, you need to consult a doctor, otherwise the diseasewill only get worse. There are several methods of treatment: folk remedies, along with medicines and prevention, which improves the functioning of the immune system. What vasculitis looks like in adults in the photo can be viewed on specialized resources.
Medicated treatment
This type of fight against the disease involves the use of drugs whose action is aimed at suppressing the inflammatory process inside the vessels. Medicines should completely eliminate any pathological symptoms.
For treatment, a group of drugs is usually prescribed, which consist of anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Indomethacin, Cyclophosphamide, and the glucocorticosteroid Prednisolone. In addition, to strengthen the vessels, it is required to take Dicinon and Askorutin. At the same time, the permeability of blood vessels is minimized thanks to Prodectin, which also prevents the appearance of blood clots.
In the case of erythematous nodosum, an additional antiallergic agent is added. They can become "Suprastin" or "Telfast". Often, immunosuppressants are given in combination with vasodilators and coagulants to improve efficacy.
Home remedy treatment
What else does the treatment of vasculitis in adults involve?
In folk medicine, there are a lot of recipes that can cope with this disease:
- For example, herbal infusion is perfect. The ingredients for its preparation are nettle along with knotweed, elder flowers, yarrow grass,Japanese Sophora berries and water. All components are added in the amount of four spoons. During cooking, the dry ingredients are crushed and mixed thoroughly. One glass of the resulting mixture is poured with boiling water and left for an hour. Next, the liquid is filtered. The resulting infusion should be consumed twice a day according to the regulations.
- An infusion of lingonberries, violets and string is also suitable. The ingredients are as follows: string, violet, water and cranberries. All components are added in the amount of three spoons. The dry mixture is crushed and mixed. After that, two spoons of it are poured with water. The remedy is insisted in a dark place for at least an hour, after which it is filtered. It must be drunk four times in half a tablespoon.
- Another effective folk remedy for vasculitis on the legs is an ointment, whose components include one glass of birch buds and half a kilogram of nutria fat. The kidneys are ground into powder. In the event that they are fresh, then into the gruel. The mass is added to nutria fat. Then the mixture is transferred to a clay pot. Every day for a week, the medicine is placed in the oven at a minimum temperature for three hours. After that, it is poured into tightly closed jars. Store the drug in a dark place, which should be cool. The product is applied to the skin once a day immediately before bedtime. It should be used until complete recovery.
Complications
As noted earlier, the disease is quite serious and can lead to dangerous consequences in the form of kidney failure, pulmonary bleeding,polyneuropathy, abdominal abscesses, and intestinal intussusception.
Prevention
Prevention of the progression of the disease and exacerbations includes the sanitation of foci of infection (for example, caries or chronic tonsillitis). It is necessary to additionally protect yourself from any hypothermia, industrial harmful factors and excessive physical exertion. It is equally important to avoid contact with allergens, stop smoking and drinking alcohol.
We looked at the symptoms and treatment of vasculitis. The reasons for the development of pathology can be very diverse. Sometimes the occurrence of this disease is associated with infection with certain viral infections. The influence of allergic diseases is not excluded. But most often the appearance of this disease is associated with chronic autoimmune diseases. If there are characteristic signs and a rash, you should consult a doctor, as early diagnosis will prevent the development of a chronic form of pathology.
