Vasculitis Specialist

What is vasculitis?

Vasculitis is a general term used to describe various diseases that lead to inflammation of your blood vessels, including your veins and arteries. There are numerous types of vasculitis, including:

• Kawasaki disease
• Giant cell arteritis
• IgA vasculitis
• Takayasu's arteritis

Some autoimmune diseases, such as lupus and Sjogren's syndrome, may also lead to vasculitis.

What are the symptoms of vasculitis?

The symptoms that present with vasculitis depends on the type of vasculitis you have or the blood vessels affected by the inflammation. In most cases, the inflammation in your blood vessel affects blood flow and may impair oxygen and nutrient delivery to your organs, tissue, or nerves.

Some of the common symptoms of vasculitis include:

• Shortness of breath
• Numbness or tingling in your extremities
• Development of lumps or sores on your skin

However, in some cases, you may not experience any noticeable symptoms at all.

How is vasculitis diagnosed?

Due to the variation in symptoms, and the rarity of the condition, diagnosing vasculitis can be difficult and may require ruling out other causes of your symptoms. Your specialist at Rheumatology and Allergy Institute of Connecticut, LLC conducts a comprehensive examination when you come in with concerns that may be indicative of vasculitis. During your examination, your specialist:

• Reviews your symptoms
• Conducts a physical exam
• Requests blood work and a urinalysis

Your specialist might also recommend an angiography, which is an X-ray that looks for abnormalities in your blood vessels, as well as a biopsy.

Based on the results of your examination, your specialist may be able to determine the type of vasculitis you have, which helps direct treatment.

What are the treatments for vasculitis?

Your specialist at Rheumatology and Allergy Institute of Connecticut, LLC develops a personalized treatment for the management of your vasculitis based on the type you have, your symptoms, and your medical history. In most cases, glucocorticoids, steroids that reduce inflammation, are the primary treatment.

Your specialist may also recommend disease-specific medication to help manage an underlying autoimmune disorder, such as lupus.

If your blood vessels have been severely damaged, surgery to redirect blood flow may be necessary.

Vasculitis is a rare condition. For expert care, call the team at Rheumatology and Allergy Institute of Connecticut, LLC or schedule an appointment online today.