Lupus vasculitis
Evidence: Antibody
Names
Lupus vasculitis
Description
Lupus vasculitis is an autoimmune complication of lupus erythematosus that occurs when proteins of the immune system enter the walls of the blood vessels, leading to inflammation. Patients often experience ulcers, red marks, or bumps on the skin. The spectrum of involvement ranges from relatively mild disease (affecting only small vessels and skin), to life threatening multi-organ disease. Treatments are available to control symptoms. Early medical attention is necessary in severe cases to prevent lasting damage to the organs.
Patient Groups
Prevalence
US Cases: 25,000 - 27,000 [Ramos-Casals 2006 and Lim 2014]. Ramos-Casals found vasculitis in 11% of SLE patients studied. Lim found SLE prevalence of 73 per 100,000.
Typical Age of onset
Recent data was unfound, but one previous study of 670 patients showed the average age of onset to be 37.8 years, with the earliest diagnosis at 17 years of age and the latest at 73 years of age.
Source: Ramos-Casals (2006)
Symptoms
Systemic
Fever
Malaise
Poor appetite
Weight loss
Fatigue
Skin
Red or purple dots on the skin (petechiae)
Raised red or purple bumps on the skin (palpable purpura)
Itchy rash (hives)
Ulcers, especially around the ankles
Black dots around the nails of fingers and toes (nail fold infarcts)
Gangrene of fingers and toes
Joints
Pain in the joints with or without obvious swelling
Lungs
Cough (particularly coughing up blood)
Shortness of breath
Intestines
Cramping
Abdominal pain
Bloating
Blood in stool
Eyes
Sudden loss of vision
Blurred vision
Headaches
Brain
Headaches
Strokes
Changes in mental status
Confusion
Seizures
Nerve
Shooting pain in arms and legs
Numbness
Asymmetrical weakness
Tingling
References
Gheita (2018)
Johns Hopkins Institute
Lupus Foundation
Radic (2013)
Ramos-Casals (2006)
Profile by Noopur Vijaya Goyal
