Vasculitis: When Blood Vessels Become Inflamed

Vasculitis is a group of disorders characterized by inflammation of blood vessel walls, which can narrow, weaken, or scar the vessels and restrict blood flow to tissues and organs. Vasculitis can affect blood vessels of any size and can involve virtually any organ system. The condition may be primary (caused by immune dysfunction) or secondary to infections, medications, autoimmune diseases, or malignancy.

Symptoms vary widely depending on the type and severity of vasculitis. General symptoms include fever, fatigue, weight loss, and joint pain. Skin vasculitis causes purplish spots (palpable purpura), lung involvement causes cough and shortness of breath, kidney involvement causes high blood pressure and reduced urine output, and nervous system involvement can cause numbness, weakness, or vision changes. Giant cell arteritis, a form of large-vessel vasculitis affecting older adults, can cause headache, jaw pain, and sudden vision loss if untreated.

Dr. Shree Narayan Yadav — consultant physician & joint and autoimmune disease specialist at Kathmandu Neurology Clinic & Cognitive Center provides evidence-based evaluation for vasculitis.

Diagnosis requires a combination of clinical features, blood tests (inflammatory markers, autoantibodies), imaging (MRA, CT angiography), and sometimes biopsy of affected tissue. Treatment typically involves corticosteroids to suppress acute inflammation, often combined with immunosuppressive agents such as cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, or rituximab for more severe disease. Monitoring for disease activity and treatment side effects is essential for long-term management.

This article is educational and does not replace individual medical advice.