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Polyarteritis nodosa Causes and Risks:
Polyarteritis nodosa is a vascular disease of unknown cause. It typically strikes adults, not children. The end result of arterial damage is subsequent damage to the tissue the arteries supply. In this disease, secondary symptoms are a result of damage to the organs being affected, often the skin, heart, kidneys and nervous system.
Generalized symptoms include fever , fatigue , weakness , loss of appetite , weight loss . Muscle aches ( myalgia ) and joint aches ( arthralgia ) are common. The skin may show rashes , swelling , ulcers , and lumps (nodular lesions). Nerve involvement may cause sensory changes with numbness , pain, burning and weakness. Central nervous system involvement may cause strokes or seizures . Kidney involvement can produce varying degrees of renal failure . Involvement of the arteries of the heart may cause a heart attack ( acute myocardial infarction ), heart failure and inflammation of the sack around the heart ( pericarditis ).
Prevention:
There is no known prevention for this disease.
Symptoms:
Signs and Tests:
There are no specific laboratory tests for the diagnosis of polyarteritis nodosa. The diagnosis is generally based upon clinical findings and a few laboratory studies which help to confirm the diagnosis.
- CBC (may demonstrate an elevated white blood count )
- ESR (often elevated)
- tissue biopsy (demonstrates inflammation in small arteries - arteritis)
- immunoglobulins (may be increased)
Treatment:
- prednisone
- cyclophosphamide
Prognosis:
Treatment is mandatory for long-term survival. The five-year survival rate in treated patients may approach 50%.
Complications:
Call Your Healthcare Provider:
Call your health care provider if you develop symptoms of this disorder. Early diagnosis and treatment may improve the chance of a good outcome.
This is a picture of microscopic polyarteritis on the shin. The term polyarteritis means that many blood vessels are inflamed. These nodules are located just below the skin's surface (subcutaneous), are barely felt when pressing on the skin (palpable), and are tender. The skin is typically red (erythematous).
One to two centimeter ulcerations are seen here on the lower legs. These may occur as a result of Hepatitis C, inflammation of the blood vessels (vasculitis), or the presence of an abnormal protein (cryoglobulin) in the blood (cryoglobulinemia).
One to two centimeter ulcerations are seen here on the lower legs. These may occur as a result of Hepatitis C, inflammation of the blood vessels (vasculitis), or the presence of an abnormal protein (cryoglobulin) in the blood (cryoglobulinemia).
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