What Is Vasculitis?
Vasculitis is a disease characterized by swelling of blood vessels that causes them to thicken, narrow, weaken, or scar.
Vasculitis can:
- Occur suddenly, or evolve over weeks or months
- Affect a single area of the body, or involve multiple locations
- Range from mild to life-threatening
Primary vasculitis occurs without any known cause and can result in a variety of other diseases, such as:
- Wegener’s granulomatosis
- Microscopic polyangiitis
- Churg-Strauss syndrome
- Henoch-Schonlein purpura
- Polyarteritis nodosa
- Kawasaki disease
- Primary angiitis of the central nervous system (CNS vasculitis)
- Temporal arteritis/giant cell arteritis
- Takayasu’s arteritis
Secondary vasculitis occurs from medication, or as a result of another disease, such as:
- An autoimmune disorder
- Viral, bacterial, or fungal infection
- Cancer, such as lymphoma or leukemia
Why Choose the UPMC Vasculitis Center?
Our holistic approach at the UPMC Vasculitis Center provides patients with the proper diagnosis and treatment options that are tailored to each patient's specific needs.
It's important to be proactive in treating and managing vasculitis, since early treatment may lead to a more positive outcome.