Medical expert of the article
New publications
Symptoms of systemic vasculitis
Last reviewed: 06.07.2025
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
In the initial period of systemic vasculitis, common features of a nonspecific inflammatory syndrome are observed: subfebrile or febrile fever, arthralgia, weight loss, signs of peripheral and visceral vascular disorders, leukocytosis in the peripheral blood, increased ESR, dysproteinemia, a positive response to anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive therapy. Along with common signs, each disease has a characteristic clinical picture. The peculiarity of the symptoms of systemic vasculitis is due to the localization of vasculitis, the caliber of the affected vessels and the prevalence of the pathological process, the nature of morphological changes (predominance of destructive or proliferative vasculitis, the presence of granulomatosis), the degree of hemodynamic disorder and tissue ischemia.
The diagnosis of each disease from the group of systemic vasculitis is based on characteristic clinical signs. Laboratory indicators reflect only inflammatory activity, therefore, if indicated, ultrasound, Doppler sonography, REG, RVG, CT, MRI, aortography, diagnostic biopsy are used. Instrumental studies help to identify the level and nature of vascular damage, vascular deformation, signs of impaired extra- or intraorgan blood circulation, and in Wegener's granulomatosis - an additional shadow in the eye orbit. If morphological confirmation of the diagnosis is necessary, a biopsy should be taken before the start of basic therapy: in nodular polyarteritis - from the affected area (near the necrosis area, in the nodule or livedo area), simultaneously - skin, subcutaneous tissue and muscle; in Wegener's granulomatosis - near the granuloma, necrosis area or perforation.
[