Surely many have heard of a disease such as vasculitis. What this is, not everyone knows, therefore, we offer brief information about one common form - hemorrhagic.
Vasculitis is the common name for inflammatory processes in blood vessels of various calibers. By origin, they can be primary, that is, independent forms, but more often are secondary or symptomatic, that is, syndromes of other diseases, as a rule, systemic lesions of connective tissue.
The causes of the appearance of vasculitis are not fully understood, but their development is associated with an abnormal reaction of the immune system, previous or present infections, and the use of certain medications. A clear classification does not exist due to the difficulties in differentiating vasculitis. All forms of the disease occur with skin lesions, 80% are characterized by articular syndrome. The process can develop in large and small vessels of any organs.
One of the most common species is a typical representative of systemic autoimmune vasculitis - hemorrhagic, which is also called Shenlein-Genoch disease, anaphylactoid purpura, or capillarotoxicosis.
Hemorrhagic vasculitis - what is it?
The disease is more common in children, mainly in boys. With hemorrhagic vasculitis , damage to the skin, joints, kidneys, digestive organs, and rarely lungs is observed. Only small vessels are involved in the process: capillaries and arterioles.
The disease usually has an acute onset. This usually occurs 2–3 weeks after an acute respiratory infection. The first sign is skin rashes - purple. Then there are joint pain and abdominal (related to the stomach) syndrome, later renal attached. In most cases, there is an increase in temperature, weakness, poor appetite, weight loss. The disease can occur in a chronic form with periodic relapses.
Skin syndrome
Purple is a typical manifestation of such a form as skin hemorrhagic vasculitis. It is present in all patients. Rashes are in the form of sharply defined papules from 1 to 5 mm in size, which subsequently merge. Elements usually protrude above the skin surface and do not disappear when pressed. The rash is located symmetrically and is localized, as a rule, on the extensor extremities, around large joints, on the buttocks and legs. Less commonly, it can be found on the face, back, stomach and chest. After a few days, the rashes turn pale and acquire a brown tint, forming pigmentation. At the same time, fresh spots appear next to old spots, which makes the skin look mottled. The rash is plentiful or sparse, can last for years.
Articular manifestations
The second most common is articular syndrome, which accompanies hemorrhagic vasculitis. What it is? Pain in large joints: ankle and knee. Despite the rather severe pains, arthritis in vasculitis is reversible, practically no deformations in the joints are observed.
Abdominal syndrome
In 50% of patients, mainly in children, an abdominal syndrome develops , which is expressed in paroxysmal, sudden-onset abdominal pain, more often in the navel. In addition, bloating, vomiting and diarrhea with an admixture of blood are observed. Surgical complications are possible: intestinal obstruction, intestinal perforation, peritonitis.
Nephrotic syndrome
Renal signs accompanying vasculitis - what is it? Nephrotic syndrome manifests itself in the form of glomerulonephritis and occurs in 30-60% of patients. It often occurs in the first year of the disease, sometimes after the disappearance of extrarenal manifestations or at the next relapse. The main symptom of glomerulonephritis is the presence of blood in the urine.
Hemorrhagic vasculitis in children can occur in severe form in the form of fulminant purpura, in which multiple hemorrhages under the skin appear within a few hours, accompanied by fever and arterial hypotension.