Connective tissue diseases

This chapter covers the connective tissue diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren’s syndrome, scleroderma, antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (including granulomatosis with polyangiitis (formerly known as Wegener’s granulomatosis), eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (formerly known as Churg–Strauss syndrome), and microscopic polyangiitis), polyarteritis nodosa, and Behçet’s disease. For each example of a connective tissue disease it provides an overview of the condition and classification criteria, alongside the prognosis. Techniques and tricks for diagnosis, clinical features, assessment tools, and treatment are all covered. Key points of nursing care are described, including the nurse’s role in treatment with thalidomide and cyclophosphamide, and any particular organs that can be affected is detailed.

Chapter 19 covers the basic science and clinical topics relating to rheumatology which trainees are required to learn as part of their basic training and demonstrate in the MRCP. It covers basic science, the synovium, autoantibodies, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, septic arthritis, crystal arthropathies, spondyloarthritides, psoriatic arthritis, low back pain, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, polymyositis/dermatomyositis, Sjögren syndrome, giant cell arteritis/polymyalgia rheumatic, polyarteritis nodosa, Churg-Strauss syndrome (eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis), granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener), treating systemic vasculitis, relapsing polychondritis, and Behҫet disease.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-35
Author(s):  
Abdulaziz Alotaibi ◽  
Stefan W. Schneider

Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) is a rare multisystemic vasculitis which was previously called Churg-Strauss syndrome or allergic granulomatosis. It has an unknown pathogenesis, possibly autoimmune in nature. As it has a low incidence, there is only scant published literature. This case report is valuable to dermatologists, since skin involvement is one of the most common features of the vasculitic phase. This report represents one of the possible presentations of EGPA according to the antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody status – which in our case was negative, with a low prognostic Five-Factor Score – that was successfully treated with oral steroids and azathioprine as a steroid-sparing agent. Our objective was to add a case report to the scarce existing literature in order to learn more about therapeutic options for EGPA. This case report demonstrates that oral steroids, as induction treatment, and azathioprine, as maintenance treatment, are effective in elderly patients with EGPA without involvement of any other organs. Nevertheless, additional studies are necessary to achieve appropriate management.


Asthma ◽  
2014 ◽  
pp. 12-20
Author(s):  
Lanny J. Rosenwasser ◽  
Dennis K. Ledford

The antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis syndromes— eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Churg-Strauss syndrome or allergic angiitis with granulomatosis), granulomatous polyangiitis (Wegener’s granulomatosis), and microscopic polyangiitis—are serious comorbidities of asthma or upper respiratory disease, or the symptoms of the vasculitis may resemble asthma or associated upper airway disease. ANCA-associated vasculitis is potentially fatal but is responsive to a variety of treatments, if the vasculitis is recognized before serious organ dysfunction. The role of ANCA in these conditions has not been defined because eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, granulomatous polyangiitis, or microscopic polyangiitis may occur without ANCA, and the titer of ANCA does not predict clinical course. Clinical suspicion and consideration of tissue biopsy are important for recognition before irreversible complications occur. Corticosteroid therapy for asthma or suspected asthma may modify the presentations of ANCA-positive vasculitis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (7) ◽  
pp. 904-907
Author(s):  
Gabriela Venade ◽  
Cátia Figueiredo ◽  
Catarina Almeida ◽  
Nídia Oliveira ◽  
Luis Costa Matos

SUMMARY Churg–Strauss syndrome, Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), is a systemic vasculitis that affects small– to medium-sized vessels. It is rare and part of the Anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody-associated vasculitis (ANCA) group. We present a 37-year-old man, with a previous history of asthma, that was sent to the ED due to 2 weeks of productive cough, occasional dyspnea on exertion, fever (one week), asthenia, and anorexia. Upon physical examination, he was subfebrile and tachycardic. He had leukocytosis (17.00 x10^9/L) and eosinophilia of 20.0 % (3.4 X10^9/L), creatinine level of 1.5 mg/dL, subtle elevation on liver function tests and CRP of 10.82mg/dL. On Chest X-Ray, there was infiltrate on the right pulmonary base. Due to a strong suspicion of EGPA, he was started on 80mg of prednisolone from admission. ANCA MPO was positive, with the remaining auto-immune study negative. He underwent Thorax CT (under corticotherapy) without relevant changes, as well as bronchoalveolar lavage, without macroscopic signs of alveolar hemorrhage. Because of active urinary sediment, nephrotic proteinuria (6.5g/24h), and acute renal failure he underwent a renal biopsy, which revealed pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis, with predominantly acute findings (in the context of ANCA-MPO Vasculitis – EGPA). After the biopsy, he received three 1g methylprednisolone pulses and was started on Cyclophosphamide. He remained asymptomatic and renal function was restored. This case highlights the importance of integrating all findings in one clinical scenario to prevent a more complex disease diagnosis, with a specific treatment, from being missed.


Chest Imaging ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 355-359
Author(s):  
Felipe Martínez

Vasculitis refers to inflammation of blood vessel walls that results in vascular wall destruction and ischemic injury to affected organs. Common vasculitides discussed herein include Takayasu arteritis (TAK), giant cell arteritis (GCA), antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitides such as granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), and anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) disease or Goodpasture syndrome. Vasculitides are further subcategorized depending of the size of the predominantly affected vessels: large, medium and small vessel vasculitis. The affected vessel size strongly influences the clinical and imaging manifestations of the disease. Intrathoracic involvement is more common in small and large vessel vasculitides. Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH), a common manifestation of vasculitis, is considered a syndrome rather than a specific entity and will be discussed in this chapter. However, it should be noted that DAH may also result from non-vasculitic etiologies. The work up and diagnosis of patients with primary vasculitides is challenging and requires close collaboration between the clinician, the radiologist and the pathologist. Radiographic abnormalities are non specific or may be absent. CT and MRI are the imaging modalities of choice for the evaluation and follow up of these patients, and should be considered despite normal radiographics.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Haruna Yagi ◽  
Seishiro Takahashi ◽  
Tetsuo Kibe ◽  
Kenji Shirai ◽  
Isao Kosugi ◽  
...  

In children, acute pancreatitis has been reported in IgA vasculitis, Kawasaki disease, systemic lupus erythematosus-associated vasculitis, and juvenile dermatomyositis-associated vasculitis. However, its frequency in these vasculitides has been shown to be low. In other childhood-onset vasculitides, acute pancreatitis is seldom reported. The patient was a 5-year-old Japanese boy who suddenly presented with gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Therapy with antiulcer drugs successfully stopped bleeding, but subsequently, high fever, leukocytosis, and hypoxia appeared. He died 12 days after he presented with GI bleeding. An autopsy unexpectedly revealed that necrotizing vasculitis with marked eosinophilic and histiocytic infiltration of the pancreas led to acute pancreatitis, and gastric ulcer with eosinophilic infiltration was shown to be the origin of GI bleeding. In addition, eosinophilic infiltration was found in the small intestine, lungs, and bone marrow. Necrotizing vasculitis with eosinophilic and histiocytic infiltration of the pancreas, eosinophilic infiltration of the airway wall, and eosinophilic gastroenteritis with gastric ulcer were histologically confirmed, suggesting that the present case may be an early stage of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis- (EGPA-) like vasculitis. To our knowledge, this might be the first reported case of EGPA-like vasculitis presenting with acute pancreatitis in a child.


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