scholarly journals ANCA-Associated Vasculitis with Cardiac Valve Vegetations in Two Teenage Males: A Case Report and Literature Review

Author(s):  
Alexandra Theisen ◽  
Martha Rodriguez

Abstract Background: Anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis is a term used to describe systemic vasculitides that affect small and medium-sized blood vessels. The three types of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) are Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA), formerly Wegener’s granulomatosis , Microscopic Polyangiitis (MPA), and Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (EGPA), formerly Churg-Strauss, with clinical presentation most frequently involving the respiratory tract, the kidney, the skin and the joints. ANCA-associated vasculitis is rare in children, with estimated prevalence of 3-4 per million, and even more rare is the manifestation of cardiac abnormalities secondary to ANCA-associated vasculitis in the pediatric population. Case Presentation: We present the cases of two teenage males who presented with cardiac valvular lesions secondary to Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis in addition to sinus, pulmonary, renal, and cutaneous involvement. These findings of cardiac valvular abnormalities in GPA have rarely been described in the literature in pediatrics. Both patients were treated with rituximab, high-dose methylprednisolone, and plasma exchange (PLEX) and showed improvement in their disease manifestations. Conclusions: A review of the literature revealed only five pediatric cases of ANCA-associated vasculitis with cardiac manifestations, and interestingly, three of the five had valvular involvement. Subsequent valvular involvement makes obtaining the diagnosis of ANCA-Associated Vasculitis very difficult due to concern for underlying infectious endocarditis and can lead to misdiagnosis given the rarity of cardiac involvement in ANCA-associated vasculitis. Routine echocardiogram is not always completed in newly diagnosed GPA, yet cardiac involvement can lead to severe consequences as was seen with our first patient in the form of thromboembolic stroke. We discuss the importance of keeping AAV on the differential when cardiac lesions are present as well as the importance of regular cardiac screening in newly diagnosed patients with AAV, as it is a major factor of cardiac morbidity and mortality in the adult population and can contribute substantially to management decisions.

Rheumatology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 59 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona A Pearce ◽  
Bridget Griffiths ◽  
Chetan Mukhtyar ◽  
Reem Al-Jayoussi ◽  
Richard A Watts ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The contemporary prevalence of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) in England is unknown. Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) contain data on every hospital and day case NHS admission in England since 1997. In collaboration with the National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Disease Registration Service (NCARDRS) we validated the diagnosis of AAV using ICD codes in HES. The positive predictive value of these codes was 86%, which compares favourably to a median coding accuracy of 80% in a recent systematic review of NHS coding studies. This justifies using this novel dataset for population-based epidemiology with coverage of the whole population of England. Methods We worked within NCARDRS enabled by their Section 251 legal permissions (CAG 10-02(d)/2015). We extracted all cases of AAV from HES 2011/12 to 2016/17 using ICD-10 codes M313 Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), M317 Microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), and M301 Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). We used the Summary Care Record to check vital status and record date of death where appropriate. We estimated point prevalence on 1 July 2016 using ONS mid-year population estimates for England in 2016 as the denominator. Standardised mortality ratio (SMR) was calculated using the Office for National Statistics death summary tables 2016 to provide expected number of deaths for each 5-year age-band and sex. Results We identified 9,890 patients who were coded as having AAV during a hospital admission 2011-2017. This included 6,856 (69.3%) with GPA, 964 (9.8%) with MPA and 2,070 (20.9%) with EGPA. On 1 July 2016, our dataset found 8,040 people in England were living with ANCA associated vasculitis. We estimate the prevalence was 14.55 (95% CI: 14.23-14.87)/100,000 adult population. The median age of these patients was 65.3 years (interquartile range 52.3-74.2). 47% were female. The prevalence of GPA was 9.97/100.000 (95% CI: 9.71-10.24), MPA was 1.40/100,000 (95% CI: 1.30-1.50), and EGPA was 3.18/100,000 (95% CI: 3.03-3.33). People with AAV were 4.6 times more likely to die than the background population of the same age and sex (Standardised Mortality Ratio = 4.58). Conclusion There are no recent UK prevalence estimates for all types of ANCA-associated vasculitis. Studies in Australia, Germany, Southern Sweden and the USA have found estimated prevalence to be between 4.6-18.4 cases per 100,000 individuals. Our estimate of 14.6/100,000 in England is consistent with this, and towards the higher end of the range. However, our estimates underestimate the prevalence of MPA compared to other studies, and further work is needed to increase the routine identification of cases of MPA. Further work within NCARDRS using their unique data linkages will enable more specific AAV case ascertainment as well as nationwide population-based studies on cause of death and studies using the database of English prescriptions dispensed in the community. Disclosures F.A. Pearce None. B. Griffiths None. C. Mukhtyar None. R. Al-Jayoussi None. R.A. Watts None. J. Aston None. M. Bythell None. S. Stevens None. P.C. Lanyon None.


2021 ◽  
Vol In Press (In Press) ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyed Reza Raeeskarami ◽  
Seyyed Hosein Mousavi ◽  
Mohammad Ashouri ◽  
Parvin Akbariasbagh ◽  
Raheleh Assari ◽  
...  

Introduction: Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is a kind of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV), which involves small-to-medium-sized vessels. Besides, GPA usually involves the upper and lower respiratory tract, and also causes necrotizing glomerulonephritis. The involvement of the heart and gastrointestinal (GI) tract in GPA is unusual, and these are atypical places of this vasculitis. Case Presentation: A 14-year-old girl with a newly diagnosed GPA after afflicting with COVID-19 infection presented with ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction (MI), GI perforation, and intracranial hemorrhage. Conclusions: Although GPA is rare in the pediatric population, it might occur in this age group and could involve multiple organ systems.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard A. Lau ◽  
Ramandeep Bains ◽  
Duminda Suraweera ◽  
Jane Ma ◽  
Emil R. Heinze ◽  
...  

This paper describes one patient with Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody- (ANCA-) associated vasculitis who initially presented with multiple ischemic fingers and toes. On further evaluation, the patient was also found to have pulmonary-renal involvement and episcleritis. The diagnosis was supported with a positive cANCA (anti-proteinase 3) and a bronchoscopy consistent with diffuse alveolar hemorrhage. Although the patient refused a tissue biopsy, clinical presentation including nasal ulceration, sinus congestion, and epistaxis and anti-proteinase 3 antibody were more consistent with Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA) rather than Microscopic Polyangiitis (MPA) or Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (EGPA) based on the recently presented ACR/EULAR Provisional 2017 Classification Criteria for GPA (Luqmani et al., 2016). The patient responded well to therapy including high dose steroids and cyclophosphamide, with improvement of all organs involved and had no further digital ischemia or gangrene on follow-up. We include a review of the English literature summarizing presentation, management, and outcome of 16 similar cases.


2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 898.2-898
Author(s):  
A. Antovic ◽  
B. Lövström ◽  
A. Hugelius ◽  
O. Borjesson ◽  
A. Bruchfeld ◽  
...  

Background:Patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) require immunosuppressive therapy for disease control and reduction of disease relapse and may be at risk for complications during Sars-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection.Objectives:To analyze the consequences of COVID-19 in a large cohort of AAV patients regarding occurrence, need of hospitalization, treatment at the intensive care units (ICU), or death.Methods:Data were retrieved from March 2020 to mid-January 2021 from medical records from the AAV cohort (n=233). Patients diagnosed with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) or eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) were included. Data included age, gender, diagnosis, ongoing immunosuppressive medication at onset of COVID-19 or at last follow-up in non-COVID individuals. Renal involvement (ever) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were included. COVID-19 was confirmed either by a positive PCR test in the upper airways or by serology. Severe COVID-19 was defined as need of non-invasive ventilation, ICU care, and/or death.Results:The cohort comprised of 172 patients with GPA, 50 with MPA and 11 with EGPA. There were 121 females (52%). During the study period, 20 patients (8.6%) were diagnosed with COVID-19. The median age at data retrieval in all patients was 68 years (21-93), in the COVID-19 group 63 (29-93) and 68.5 (21-90) years in the non-COVID patients.Fourty-three patients in all (18%) were hospitalized during the study period of which 11 (4.7%) due to COVID-19 infection. In all, 8 deaths occurred of which 3 were related to COVID-19.At data retrieval, 110 (47%) patients were on prednisolone treatment, 10/20 (50%) in the COVID-19 group and 100 (47%) in the non-COVID-19 group (p=0.5), with significantly higher doses in COVID-19 patients (p<0.001). In patients hospitalized with COVID-19, 6/11 (54.5%) were on prednisolone, median dose 5 mg/day (0-50). In the total group 112 (48%) were on disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARD) and 64 (27.5%) on rituximab as maintenance therapy. Eight patients were on induction treatment with either cyclophosphamide or rituximab.Of the 20 COVID-19 cases, 8 had severe COVID-19. Of these, 2 were inactive without immunosuppressive treatment, 4 had stable disease with prednisolone (5-7.5 mg/day) in combination with DMARDs, and 2 were active treated with high dose prednisolone (25-50 mg/day) in combination with cyclophosphamide and rituximab (n=1) or rituximab (n=1).A higher proportion of patients had active AAV (p=0.03) in the severe COVID-19 then in the non-COVID group (10/213 patients).In the group with the severe COVID-19, 1/8 (12%) patient had rituximab as maintenance therapy, compared to 61/213 (28.6%) in the group of non-COVID-19 patients (p=0.5).Renal involvement (ever) was present in 144 patients (62%), in 6 patients (30%) with COVID- 19, from which 5 (62%) were in the group of severe COVID-19 patients. Median eGFR did not differ between severe COVID-19 and remaining patients with renal involvement independently of COVID-19 infection.Conclusion:We found a high rate of severe COVID-19 infection in our cohort of AAV patients which indicates risk for serious complications, especially in patients with active disease and intense immunosuppressive therapy. Maintenance therapy with rituximab did not seem to increase the risk for severe COVID-19. The findings stress the need for continued shielding and early vaccination in AAV patients.Disclosure of Interests:None declared


2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (04) ◽  
pp. 482-493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mouhamad Nasser ◽  
Vincent Cottin

AbstractDefined by the accumulation of red blood cells into the alveolar space, diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) is a severe and potentially fatal medical condition requiring careful attention. In contrast to simple extravasation of erythrocytes facilitated by impaired hemostasis or hemodynamic causes, DAH in vasculitis is due to capillaritis, that is, inflammation of capillaries. Dyspnea, hemoptysis, chest infiltrates, and abrupt fall of blood hemoglobin level represent the cardinal features of DAH; yet, hemoptysis is lacking in one-third of cases. Bronchoalveolar lavage, retrieving bright red fluid, is the best diagnostic clue, also excluding infection and other causes of hemoptysis. Although not recommended, lung biopsy is the gold standard for the diagnosis of DAH and pulmonary capillaritis. Pulmonary capillaritis may be primary as in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis or secondary to drugs (especially antithyroid drugs such as propylthiouracil), infections, connective tissue diseases especially systemic lupus erythematosus, or other small vessel vasculitides. Newer toxic causes of drugs of abuse may be difficult to diagnose. Granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis are the most common causes of capillaritis and DAH, whereas DAH is extremely rare in eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis. When pulmonary capillaritis is not secondary to underlying systemic vasculitis, idiopathic pauci-immune pulmonary capillaritis may be considered, with or without ANCA. Supportive treatment strategy is mandatory in all cases of DAH. Mechanical ventilation and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation may be used in severe cases. Early identification and removal of the putative drug is crucial in drug-induced vasculitis/DAH and may obviate the need for immunosuppressive therapy. High-dose corticosteroids, intravenous cyclophosphamide, and recently rituximab are the mainstay of treatment in vasculitis. Plasma exchange is recommended in anti–glomerular basement membrane disease and in severe DAH associated with systemic lupus erythematosus and is used in selected cases in ANCA-associated vasculitis.


Author(s):  
Jihad Hamudi ◽  
Basheer Karkabi ◽  
Devy Zisman ◽  
Avinoam Shiran

Abstract Background Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), formerly known as Churg–Strauss syndrome, is a rare multisystem disease characterized by asthma, rhinosinusitis, and eosinophilia. Cardiac involvement, present in half the patients, may be life threatening. Case summary A young woman with long-standing asthma and nasal polyposis was admitted with new-onset dyspnoea, sinus tachycardia, and eosinophilia. She had severe biventricular thrombosis and severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) on echocardiography, with preserved ejection fraction of both ventricles. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging showed diffuse subendocardial late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). She had a positive test for perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (p-ANCA) confirming the diagnosis of ANCA positive EGPA. She was treated with anticoagulation, high-dose corticosteroids, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab with gradual resolution of her symptoms. Follow-up echocardiography showed significant improvement in ventricular thrombi and TR but could not reliably exclude residual ventricular thrombus. Repeat CMR at 11 months confirmed complete resolution of both ventricular thrombi and near complete resolution of LGE. Discussion Cardiac involvement in EGPA, a rare cause of heart failure, can manifest as severe biventricular thrombosis and severe TR, resulting in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Combined immunosuppression and anticoagulation can lead to complete remission within a year. CMR is instrumental for both diagnosis and follow-up of EGPA, allowing for safe discontinuation of oral anticoagulation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 668.2-669
Author(s):  
S. Monti ◽  
P. Delvino ◽  
C. Klersy ◽  
G. Coppa ◽  
A. Milanesi ◽  
...  

Background:Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are currently poorly integrated in the clinical evaluation of disease activity in patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV).Objectives:To assess the distribution of the Patient Global Assessment (PtGA) in patients with AAV in stable remission, and to identify correlates of PtGA; to assess the discordance between PtGA score and PhGA.Methods:Patients with a diagnosis of AAV [eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, microscopic polyangiitis] in stable, complete remission (defined by a BVAS=0) and with a Physician Global Assessment (PhGA)=0 were included. A questionnaire including several aspects of disease captured by PROs was collected. PtGA on a 0-100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS) was assessed, with higher scores representing higher/worse levels of disease activity. Similarly, VAS for pain, chronic damage according to the patient’s opinion, general health (GH), fatigue, and sleep quality were collected. The worst symptom in the patient’s opinion affecting the overall assessment of disease activity was recorded. The Cragg Hurdle model was used to assess the predictors of PtGA.Results:65 patients were included, female 57%, mean age 61±12 years. Mean disease duration at enrollment was 8±6 years. Mean vasculitis damage index (VDI) was 4.4 ±2.3, with 45% of patients having a VDI ≥ 5. Despite having been classified as being in remission, PtGA was elevated in 37% of patients. We explored several correlates of PtGA. Higher degree of damage accrual (VDI) did not influence the patient’s evaluation of current disease activity. Similarly, we did not identify a correlation between older age, educational level, number of organ-systems involved, number of comorbidities, the number of previous major or minor relapses, higher disease duration, nor the type of AAV diagnosis (figure 1, panel A). Only sex significantly correlated with PtGA scores: 19 (51%) of female patients reported an elevated PtGA compared to only 5 (18%) of male (p=0.009). PtGA resulted to be significantly correlated with other (mostly modifiable) PROs including VAS pain, perception of the level of chronic damage accrual, GH, and fatigue (figure 1, panel B). The agreement between patients’ and physicians’ assessments of disease activity was 63%. Patients reported pain, followed by chronic respiratory symptoms to be the worst-experienced ongoing manifestations affecting their evaluation of disease activity.Conclusion:A significant proportion of patients with AAV considered to be in remission by the physician still declares to have persistent aspects of uncontrolled disease. PtGA is significantly influenced by persistent pain and fatigue, which warrant better assessment in the future.Disclosure of Interests:None declared


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eunsil Koh ◽  
Noeul Kang ◽  
Jin-Young Lee ◽  
Duk-Kyung Kim ◽  
Young Soo Do ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) is a systemic necrotizing vasculitis mainly affecting small-sized arteries. Involvement of medium-sized vessels is very rare in EGPA. Here we present the case of a patient with EGPA who showed multiple hepatic aneurysms and distal gangrene. Case presentation A known EGPA patient visited to the emergency room (ER) with abrupt squeezing abdominal pain. She had suffered from gangrene in the fingertips of both hands for 1 year because of arterial thrombosis associated with hypereosinophilia. However, her absolute eosinophil count in the ER was 1120 cells/µL. An abdomen-pelvis CT demonstrated subcapsular hematoma in the right hepatic lobe. A celiac angiogram demonstrated multiple sized aneurysms in both hepatic lobes and some aneurysms in S7 and S8 were huge, more than 1 cm in size. The shape of the small aneurysms resembled a string of beads, as in polyarteritis nodosa. Given the clinical situation, emergency embolization was performed. Before this patient visited to the ER, she had been treated with a high dose of systemic corticosteroid, azathioprine, and cyclophosphamide. After addition of mepolizumab, the eosinophil count remained stable state with a near zero percentage of total white blood cell count. Conclusions Aneurysm and gangrene resulting from the involvement of medium-sized vessels can occur in EGPA. Destruction of vessels might occur even if eosinophil count is below 1500 cells/µL. If involvement of medium-sized arteries is suspected, thorough investigation to identify the involved organs and prompt management are needed to prevent fatal complications.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larissa Maria Oliveira Gonzaga ◽  
Ana Luisa Bagno de Almeida ◽  
Aurivan Essado Dantas ◽  
Carolina Ruas Freire Santos ◽  
Anna Carolina Faria Moreira Gomes Tavares ◽  
...  

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