3.2.3. Vascular Pathology 2 of 3 Flashcards
What is vasculitis?
Vessel Wall inflammation
Vessels of any type can be affected, but most vasculitides affect what?
Vessels of any type can be affected, but most vasculitides affect small vessels ranging in size from arterioles to capillaries to venules.
Pathogenic Mechanisms of vasculitis:
- Immune-mediated inflammation
- Direct invasion of vascular walls by infectious pathogens
- Infections can also indirectly induce a noninfectious vasculitis (by generating immune complexes or triggering a cross-reactive immune response)
Most common form of vasculitis among older individuals in the U.S. and Europe; usually affects females
Temporal (Giant Cell) Arteritis
What artery does TGCA affect?
Granulomatous vasculitis that classically involves branches of the carotid artery
Depending on the location of the blockage, there are three specific findings associated with TGCA. What are they and what artery is involved with each?
Is there anything else that presents with TGCA?
Presents as headache (temporal artery involvement), visual disturbances (ophthalmic artery involvement) and jaw claudication. Flu-like symptoms with joint and muscle pain (polymyalgia rheumatica) are often present.
Lab results for TGCA?
ESR is elevated (>100)
What does a biopsy reveal with TGCA? How useful is the biopsy?
Biopsy reveals inflamed vessel wall with giant cells and intimal fibrosis
Lesions are segmental; diagnosis requires a biospy of a long segment of vessel, and a negative biopsy DOES NOT exclude disease
What is the treatment and cost of not treating associated with TGCA?
Treatment is corticosteroids; high risk of blindness without treatment
Where does Takayasu Arteritis hit?
Granulomatous vasculitis that classically involves the aortic arch at branch points
Who does Takayasu Arteritis generally affect?
Presents in adults <50 years old (classically, young Asian females)
How does Takayasu Arteritis present?
as visual and neurologic symptoms with a weak or absent pulse in the upper extremity (“pulseless disease”).
Lab results for Takayasu Arteritis?
ESR elevated
Takayasu Arteritis treatment
Treatment is corticosteroids.
Medium vessel vasculitis means it affects what type of arteries?
Involves muscular arteries that supply organs.
What is Polyarteritis Nodosa and where does it affect?
Involves muscular arteries that supply organs.
How does Polyarteritis present and hwat arteries are affected with these symptoms?
Is anything else associated generally with PN?
Classically presents in young adults as hypertension (renal artery involvement), abdominal pain, with melena (mesenteric artery involvement)
neurologic disturbances and skin lesions also seen.
What serum is associated with PN?
Associated with serum HBsAg (Hep B surface antigen)
What are the stages for PN?
Lesions of varying stages are present. Early lesion consists of transmural inflammation with fibrinoid necrosis; eventually heals with fibrosis
What interesting finding is associated with PN?
Aneurysms can occur around these first stage segments, producing a “string of pearls” appearance on imaging
Treatment of PN?
Treatment is corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide; fatal if not treated
Who is affected by Kawasaki Disease?
Classically affects Asian children <4 years old
How does Kawasaki Disease present?
Presents with nonspecific signs including fever, conjunctivitis, erythematous rash of palms and soles, and enlarged cervical lymph nodes
What two lethal conditions do we associate with Kawasaki’s and what causes them?
Coronary artery involvement leads to risk for:
Thrombosis with myocardial infarction
Aneurysm with rupture
What is the treatment for Kawasakis?
Treatment is aspirin and IVIG; disease is self-limited
Remember aspirin can cause Reye’s syndrome in children, and the nonspecific nature of the symptoms of Kawasaki mimic those of a viral infection, so you have to be careful before treat with aspirin
What is Buerger’s Disease also called?
Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger Disease)
What is Buerger’s Disease?
Necrotizing vasculitis involving digits
How does Buerger’s Disease typically present?
Presents with ulceration, gangrene, and autoamputation of fingers and toes
A cool physical exam finding is associated with Buerger’s…what is it?
Raynaud Phenomenon - Color changes
The fingers will go white due to anemia, then blue/cyanotic due to oxygen deprivation after a while and when the fingers get restored blood flow, they turn red
God Bless America.
How do we treat Buerger’s?
Highly associated with heavy smoking; treatment is smoking cessation
Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis is also called what?
Wegener Granulomatosis - True story, they changed the name because Wegener, the leading researcher on this condition, was a Nazi according to Ike
Where and what is affected by Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis?
Necrotizing granulomatous vasculitis involving nasopharynx, lungs, and kidneys
Who gets affected and what are the presentations of Wegener’s?
Classic presentation is a middle-aged male with sinusitis or nasopharyngeal ulceration, hemoptysis with bilateral nodular lung infiltrates, and hematuria due to rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis
What lab values do we see with Wegener’s?
Elevated serum c-ANCA levels correlate with disease activity
Wegener’s biopsy?
Biopsy reveals large necrotizing granulomas with adjacent necrotizing vasculitis