Structure of the vasculitides observed in the Clinic of Rheumatology

Tzvetelina Yoneva, Yana Zdravkova, Georgi Kotov, Rasho Rashkov, Ivan Sheytanov
2020 Revmatologiia (Bulgaria)  
Systemic vasculitides are a heterogenic group of disorders characterized by destructive inflammation and fibrinoid necrosis of the vascular wall, vessel occlusion and tissue ischemia. Vasculitides presenting with necrosis are included in neither of the contemporary classifications, even though this type of vascular pathology is the one with the most dramatic manifestations in rheumatology. There have been no analyses of the nosological association, clinical features and therapeutic management
more » ... the vasculitides with necrosis in the pertinent literature. The aim of the present study was to analyze vasculitides in the Bulgarian population in terms of their nosological association; to examine the portion that ANCA-associated vasculitides represent out of all vasculitic syndromes on the one hand, and to make an analysis of the vasculitides with necrosis according to their nosological association on the other. In the present study, we included 388 patients with vasculitis, 251 of whom were female and 137 male. We conducted a prospective and retrospective analysis which covered the patients with vasculitis who were admitted to the Clinic of Rheumatology over the period 2009-2018. ANCA-associated vasculitides were the most often diagnosed vasculitides in the Clinic of Rheumatology. Vasculitic manifestations over the course of connective tissue diseases (most often systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis) were the second most common group. Life-threatening cases of vasculitis with necrosis were mainly the result of flares of different connective tissue diseases. The major necrotizing vasculitides (Wegener's granulomatosis and microscopic polyangiitis) were responsible for 12.6% of the cases of vasculitis with necrosis. In order to establish the correct diagnosis and start the suitable treatment, it is of vital importance to recognize the different vasculitic syndromes and their wide differential diagnosis. Most of them respond well to the currently available therapeutic options, especially if the correct diagnosis has been established early.
doi:10.35465/28.3.2020.pp7-24 fatcat:d2777du3w5dxnjbpys7zjadzi4