Houston Vasculitis Treatment

What is Vasculitis?

Vasculitis is a group of diseases that involves inflammation of the blood vessels. The blood vessels of the body are called the vascular system. The vascular system is made of two major components: Arteries that carry oxygen through the blood stream to the tissues of the body and veins that carry blood to the heart. Vasculitis refers to the irritation in and the damage to blood vessels.

While the definite origin of vasculitis is undetermined, frequent features of this condition include changes in the walls of your blood vessels, such as thickening, weakening, narrowing and scarring. The following are all subsets of vasculitis:

• Polyarteritis Nodosa
• Behcet's Disease
• Wegner's Granulomatosis
• Churg-Strauss Syndrome
• Giant Cell Arteritis
• Henoch-Scholein Pupura

The blood vessel changes may affect blood flow to the organs, resulting in laboratory assessment abnormalities. Vasculitis often accompanies infections such as Hepatitis B.

How is Vasculitis Treated?

Laboratory tests are used to help make the diagnosis of vasculitis. Depending on the organs involved, a biopsy may also be needed. This may be from the skin, kidney, nerve/muscle, sinuses or lung. X-rays, such as an angiogram or MRA, may also show certain distinctive patterns in the affected vessels.

Treatment of vasculitis depends on the severity of the condition and which organs are involved. The goal is to suppress inflammation in the vessels, and typically include glucocorticoids.

Consult a Physician

An experienced rheumatologist can diagnose your condition and determine the best treatment plan for your situation. Rheumatology Associates of Houston have many years of experience treating autoimmune diseases. We are dedicated to returning improving the quality of life for our patients. Call us at (713) 667-8292 to schedule a screening and consultation.