Vasculitis op de Onderbenen - Alles Wat Je Moet Weten Over Deze Huidziekte

Vasculitis Diagnosis

Your doctor will ask about your medical history and do a physical exam. There's no test just for vasculitis. But because it tends to result from other conditions, you may need tests to look for inflammation and figure out what's causing your symptoms. These tests may include:

• Blood tests. Certain types of blood cells or antibodies can be signs of vasculitis.
• Urine tests. These check for kidney damage.
• Imaging tests. X-rays, MRIscans, CT scans, PET scans, and ultrasounds show inflammation in your blood vessels and organs. You might also have an angiogram, in which your doctor injects dye into your bloodstream. It shows up on X-rays to give a better picture of your blood vessels.
• Heart tests. An echocardiogram tests how well your heart is working.
• Biopsy. Your doctor takes a sample of tissue. A specialist can check it for signs of inflammation or damage.

Summary

Vasculitis happens when blood vessels become swollen or inflamed. This can be part of a different medical condition or happen without a known cause. There are many types of vasculitis, with various symptoms ranging from mild to severe. The most common symptoms include blood pressure changes, fever, fatigue, body aches, pain, and discomfort.

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By Ashley Olivine, Ph.D., MPH
Dr. Olivine is a Texas-based psychologist with over a decade of experience serving clients in the clinical setting and private practice.

How to Treat Acute Vasculitis Rash

Most vasculitis rashes (without systemic involvement) resolve on their own with simple home therapies.

These therapies include:

• Rest, especially avoiding prolonged standing or walking
• Elevation and compression of the affected area
• Pain relief with an NSAID, such as Advil or Motrin (ibuprofen) or Aleve (naproxen)
• Eliminating or managing underlying triggers (e.g., discontinuing a medication or taking an antiviral for a viral infection).

If a vasculitis rash is unresponsive to the above interventions or recurrent, corticosteroids ("steroids") taken by mouth may be prescribed. Alternative medication options include colchicine or dapsone .

If systemic vasculitis is present, strong medications that suppress the immune system, such as Imuran ( azathioprine ), CellCept ( mycophenolate mofetil ), or Rituxan ( rituximab ), are often considered.

What organ systems may be affected?

It is important to note that not every organ system will be affected in every patient. The pattern of organ involvement (and symptoms) is unique to the individual, as well as the type of vasculitis (category).

Skin

A variety of rashes, the most classic of which is “palpable purpura” –purplish–red spots, usually found on the legs. These spots can usually be felt by the examiner’s fingertips, hence the descriptor “palpable”.

This is a classic example of palpable purpura. These lesions result from the leakage of blood into the skin through inflamed, damaged blood vessels. They tend to occur in “crops”. This type of vasculitis involves very small diameter blood vessels in the skin.

Repeated bouts of purpura may lead to hyperpigmented (darkened) areas of the skin.

Joints

Symptoms range from full–blown arthritis to aches in the joints without obvious swelling (arthralgias).

This is an example of Henoch-Schönlein purpura: cutaneous vasculitis manifested by palpable purpura and arthritis (note the right ankle swelling). The diagnosis was confirmed by a skin biopsy, with immunofluorescence positive for IgA deposition witin blood vessel walls.

Lungs

Cough (particularly coughing up blood), shortness of breath, a pneumonia–like appearance to a patient’s chest X–ray, lung “infiltrates”, and the development of cavities in the lungs are among the manifestations that may occur in forms of vasculitis with lung involvement.