Vasculitis is a general name for certain diseases of the vascular system, accompanied by inflammation and destruction of the walls of blood vessels. Other names for this pathology are angiitis and arteritis. Symptoms of vasculitis resemble signs of atherosclerosis: the walls of capillaries, veins and arteries thicken, which reduces the lumen of blood flow and disrupts blood circulation. Oxygen starvation occurs in organs and tissues, because as a result of circulatory disorders, their adequate nutrition is no longer provided. This becomes the main cause of failures in their work.
Types of vasculitis
There are several classifications and forms of vasculitis: the symptoms of the disease are divided into primary (occur as an independent phenomenon) and secondary (most often occur against the background of other pathologies). In turn, the manifestations related to the first group are divided into three types according to the types of vascular inflammation.
Inflammationsmall capillaries, arterioles, venules:
Hemorrhagic vasculitis (Schönlein-Genoch disease, allergic purpura or capillary toxicosis), which occurs as an inflammation of the vessels of the microvasculature with a primary lesion of the skin, joints, gastrointestinal tract and kidneys. The disease can be triggered by herpes, SARS and influenza viruses, as well as bacterial factors (mycoplasma, streptococci, mycobacteria staphylococci, pathogens of food toxic infections). Parasitic infestations can also cause symptoms of vasculitis. Some experts believe that these and hereditary factors are needed for the development of pathology
The mechanism of occurrence of vasculitis is associated with the formation of immune complexes. Moving in the blood stream, they attach to the surfaces of the walls of small blood vessels and lead to its destruction and inflammation. In the course of the development of the disease, there is an increase in the permeability of the wall, the deposition of fibrins of thrombotic masses, which causes hemorrhagic syndrome and microthrombosis.
- Wegener's granulomatosis, manifested in the form of ulcerative necrotic rhinitis, infiltration of lung tissues with decay, polymorphic skin rashes, polyarthralgia. In the process of development of Wegener's granulomatosis, several stages of the disease are distinguished. The first stage is accompanied by a clinic of purulent-necrotic or ulcerative-necrotic rhinosinusitis, laryngitis, changes in the bone and cartilage framework of the nasal septum and orbit. The second stage - the lung parenchyma is involved in the pathological course. In the third stage, seriouschanges occur in the tissues of the lower respiratory tract, the digestive and cardiovascular systems, and the kidneys. The fourth stage is expressed by pulmonary, cardiac or renal insufficiency and leads to death within a year from the onset of the development of the pathology.
- Microscopic polyangiitis affects the skin, lung tissues and kidneys. In the initial stages of the disease, subfebrile body temperature, general weakness, and malaise appear. Some patients show lesions of the upper respiratory tract and visual system. These effects are reversible and can be treated with immunosuppressants.
- Cryoglobulinemic vasculitis, the symptoms of which may appear differently in each patient. Usually these are skin manifestations in the form of tissue necrosis, ulcers, gangrene.
With the development of this form of the disease, cryoglobulins are formed in the patient's blood, which are protein compounds that, when interacting with antibodies, turn into insoluble complexes. Circulating in the bloodstream, it enters the walls of blood vessels and eventually destroys them. It has been established that such pathologies are more common in people suffering from hepatitis C. However, vasculitis can develop on its own, without any viruses.
Charge-Strauss syndrome manifests itself in the form of inflammation involving the respiratory tract, can affect small and medium-sized vessels. Symptoms and causes of this kind of vasculitis are associated with immune inflammation, thrombosis, increased permeability and fragility of blood vessels. Viral and bacterial infections can become provocateurs here,vaccinations and allergic reactions, stress, pregnancy and childbirth
Medium Vessel Damage:
- Periarteritis nodosa is characterized by inflammatory-necrotic changes in small and medium visceral and peripheral arteries. Here, viral infections and the body's tendency to increased coagulation and thrombosis play a role in the development of the disease. Has a benign or malignant character. In the first variant, it develops slowly. The rapid development is associated with impaired renal function. The lightning-fast development of pathology is rare and leads to death.
- Kawasaki disease is a rare immune complex inflammatory lesion of arteries of various calibers, occurring mainly in children of the first years of life. It is also interesting that this form of the disease is most common in representatives of the Asian race, which indicates genetic and hereditary factors in the development of the disease.
Diseases of large vessels and arteries:
- Giant cell temporal arteritis (also called temporal arteritis or Horton's disease) affects large and medium intracranial and extracranial vessels. The factors provoking this disease are viral infections (hepatitis, SARS, herpes) in combination with a genetic predisposition.
- Takayasu's disease is an inflammatory lesion of the aorta and large arteries. Clinical course of this form of the disease: weakness, pain in the limbs, numbness and pallor of the integument, lack of pulse. Possible difference in heart rate readingson left and right hands.
The main symptoms of vasculitis can be localized both on the skin and on the internal organs. They can occur for various reasons and have varying degrees of severity. There are many types of this disease: there are vasculitis of the brain, eyes, lungs, lower extremities.
Secondary vasculitis
Secondary vasculitis occurs against the background of progressive infectious and oncological neoplasms. This form of the disease should be treated by an infectious disease specialist or an oncologist, respectively, until the exacerbation is relieved. If treatment by a specialist was not effective enough, you should contact a rheumatologist for additional examination.
Vasculitis: what is this disease?
Doctors mostly associate the causes of the disease with impaired immune activity caused by the appearance of an infectious agent. The inflammatory process that occurs in systemic diseases of this kind affects the layer of the vascular wall.
The disease is destructive: it disrupts the patency of veins and capillaries, and also causes their microcirculatory disorders. As a result of a lack of oxygen and nutrients, in most cases it ends with organ ischemia, necrosis or infarction.
Different forms of this pathological process can manifest themselves in people of different ages. So, for example, the symptoms of hemorrhagic vasculitis (most often caused by infectious diseases) occur in children from 4 to 14 years old. signsperiarteritis nodosa occur predominantly in the male population from 30 to 50 years. Horton's disease is more common in older people. Kawasaki disease occurs in children under 5 years of age, and is more common in people of the yellow race. Takayasu's disease most often affects people under 40.
With secondary vasculitis, the treatment of symptoms (causes - the presence of another inflammatory process in the body) can be complicated. Especially often such manifestations occur in middle-aged men.
Clinical manifestations of systemic vasculitis usually occur in the form of various forms of fever, fever, weakness, loss of appetite and sudden weight loss. To these manifestations are added symptoms characteristic of the defeat of certain systems.
Vasculitis: causes, symptoms
The exact causes of this disease have not been established. Among doctors, there is an opinion that this disease is genetic in nature and is inherited through several generations. Here, the occurrence of autoimmune disorders in the body and infection with pathogenic microorganisms play a negative role.
It is believed that the main symptoms of vasculitis can occur due to allergic reactions of the body, after vaccination, after serious injuries, hypothermia and poisoning with chemical and radioactive substances.
At the same time, the symptoms of the disease when various organs and systems of the body are affected can have a variety of manifestations:
- When the lungs are affected, it appearsshortness of breath, coughing fits, choking and episodes of hemoptysis.
- If the kidneys are damaged, there will definitely be swelling and increased blood pressure.
- Skin lesions will manifest as rashes, ulcers, gangrene. Blue or white fingers are common symptoms of vasculitis.
- When mucous membranes are affected, sores and rashes appear.
- When the musculoskeletal system is affected, severe muscle and joint pain and swelling occur.
- Eye damage is accompanied by redness and pain in the eyes, loss of vision.
- Pathological processes in the ENT organs are accompanied by discharge and bleeding from the nose and ears, hoarseness, deformity of the back of the nose, loss of hearing and smell.
- Processes that affect the nervous system are accompanied by convulsions, tremors of the limbs, dizziness, seizures, impaired motor function.
- When the digestive system is affected, abdominal pain, diarrhea, blood in the stool may be present.
- With lesions of the cardiovascular system, symptoms are accompanied by pain behind the sternum, interruptions in the work of the heart, increased blood pressure, lack of pulse in the arms or legs.
Other symptoms
If you review vasculitis, you can identify symptoms that are identical in all forms and types of the disease. Patients have an increase in body temperature, weight loss, a decline in vitality.
In laboratory studies of the patient's analyzes, oftenaccelerated ESR, an increase in C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, and an increase in the number of leukocytes are detected. Blood and urine tests often reveal kidney damage.
Sometimes it is very difficult to understand that it is a vasculitis. Diagnosis can take a long time, since the clinic of the disease develops slowly and is often erased.
Diagnosis of disease
The probability of excluding damage to vital organs and failures in their work depends on the term for determining the pathological manifestation, establishing the diagnosis and conducting therapy. The main examination is prescribed by a rheumatologist, however, if necessary, consultations of other highly specialized specialists (ophthalmologist, neurologist, otolaryngologist, etc.) can be appointed.
Diagnosis of vasculitis (symptoms, signs, causes of a possible disease are carefully studied in the form of physical examinations) occurs only when studying laboratory tests. When determining the disease, the patient's age is taken into account, clinical and laboratory results are compared, and other diseases are excluded.
When taking blood from a patient, non-specific indicators of moderate inflammation are usually found: acceleration of ESR, an increase in C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, an increase in the number of leukocytes, platelets and eosinophils. In the biochemical analysis of blood, an increase in immunoglobulin A and CRP is noted. Urinalysis reveals signs of hematuria, proteinuria, cylindruria.
The results may indicate the presence of a pathological processcoagulograms. The absence of data on blood clotting disorders in the manifestation of clinical signs clearly indicates the presence of the disease.
When diagnosing this disease, comprehensive examinations of the patient are carried out. Be sure to appoint electrocardiography (ECG), echocardiography, ultrasound, radiography, and other diagnostic techniques are used. To confirm the diagnosis, a biopsy of the affected tissues and their subsequent morphological study is necessary.
In severely diagnosed cases, a skin biopsy may be performed. As a result of histological examination in the presence of vasculitis, deposits of A and CEC are most often detected on the endothelium and in the vascular walls of veins, arteries and capillaries themselves, the release of blood particles outside the vascular system and the appearance of microthrombosis.
Features of treatment
Vasculitis, in all its manifestations, is treated according to the general scheme of therapeutic effects. A common feature here is the use of immunosuppressive drugs. Medicines of this direction do not allow the immune system to kill its own he althy cells. Additionally, anti-inflammatory drugs may be prescribed. Usually, both directions of such therapy combine glucocorticosteroid drugs and cytostatics.
The main stages of treatment of various types of vasculitis are: suppression of an inadequate immune response of the body, immunosuppressive therapy, correction of disorders in the body and further rehabilitation.
Medicin altherapy for such pathologies includes an anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive course with corticosteroid hormonal drugs. The most popular agents here are prednisolone or dexamethasone. They provide rapid elimination of edema of the vascular tissue and reduce the risk of ischemic syndromes.
Medicinal forms of cytostatic effects are prescribed in the diagnosis and treatment of symptoms of vasculitis with damage to the central nervous system, progression of the disease, malignant renal hypertension and ineffectiveness of hormonal therapy. These include drugs such as "Cyclophosphan". In severe forms of the disease, the use of high doses of chemotherapy based on Cyclophosphan and prednisolone is practiced. In parallel, drugs can be prescribed that promote vasodilation and prevent the appearance of blood clots - Trental, Curantil.
Treatment regimens with the presence of anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents are prescribed for manifestations of hypercoagulation and DIC. In case of violations of peripheral microcirculation, nicotinic acid and its derivatives are prescribed. In addition, in the treatment of symptoms and forms of vasculitis (which are caused by immune disorders), angioprotectors, vasodilators, calcium channel blockers are used.
Effective methods in the treatment of systemic vasculitis are sessions of hemocorrection, which allow removing circulating agents and immune complexes from the blood. With complicated courses of such pathologies, an agreedcooperation of a rheumatologist, nephrologist, pulmonologist, otolaryngologist, neurologist, surgeon, ophthalmologist and other specialists.
Plasmapheresis, heme-oxygenation and ultraviolet blood irradiation are modern methods of treating diseases of this kind.
Unconventional methods
As a treatment for the symptoms and causes of vasculitis with folk remedies, alternative medicine suggests using various herbs and infusions. Here are some actionable recipes:
- A mixture of elderberry inflorescences, yarrow, Japanese sophora berries and dried nettles mixed in equal proportions. Take 8 tablespoons and pour a liter of boiling water, leave for an hour, strain and drink 1 glass three times a day.
- Chop and mix equal amounts of calendula florets, elderberries, mint leaves, poplar buds, yarrow and horsetail. Brew in half a liter of boiling water, insist for an hour and consume half a glass twice a day.
- People who know firsthand what kind of disease - vasculitis, recommend brewing herbs of tansy, wormwood, immortelle, elecampane and insist in a thermos. Prepared mixture to use 3 tbsp. spoons twice a day before meals.
- Not bad relieves allergic manifestations of vasculitis bergenia: 40 grams of dried and chopped herbs pour 0.3 liters of boiling water and insist overnight. Add honey and drink like tea.
- Licorice tincture, which contains natural corticosteroids, is consumed 5 times a day, 1 spoonful.
- With vasculitis oftena decoction of a mixture of plantain, buckwheat, wild rose, blackcurrant, St. John's wort and knotweed is recommended.
- Freshly squeezed nettle juice is also effective in treating vasculitis symptoms and preventing disease.
In case of manifestations in the form of subcutaneous hemorrhages, it is recommended to make compresses from pine resin. To do this, a glass of the product is heated in a water bath, 3 tablespoons of beeswax and 40 grams of any vegetable oil are mixed. The resulting composition is stirred until a homogeneous mass, cooled and applied in the form of compresses at night.
Green tea has a beneficial effect on the state of the vascular system. Regular consumption of alcohol tinctures of eleutherococcus, ginseng or lure herb is also recommended for vasculitis.
Prognosis of systemic vasculitis
Mild vasculitis resolves on its own. More complex pathologies require medical treatment under constant medical supervision. With the rapid development of the disease, the patient may die within a few days after the onset of the disease, and this is usually associated with damage to the vessels of the central nervous system and intracerebral hemorrhages.
Disease prevention
Prevention of the symptoms of vasculitis comes down to their prevention and elimination of the main manifestations. To do this, it is recommended to harden and strengthen the body in every possible way. He alth-improving gymnastics, swimming, regular walks in the fresh air, moderate physical activity, he althy eating,timely treatment of any diseases, the rejection of bad habits, compliance with the regime of work and proper rest - these are the main methods of preventing the disease.
