Vasculitis

Systemic vasculitides are a group of rare diseases that have an underlying problem of causing damage to the blood vessel wall. As blood vessels are in all parts of the body, many different systems can be involved and patients can have very different and multiple manifestations of vasculitis.

Vasculitic involvement can also happen secondary to another rheumatologic disease such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus as these are diseases that involve the immune system and the same types of cells are involved and sometimes, especially in severe disease, blood vessels are attacked and this leads to damage.
The most common systemic vasculitides are giant cell arteritis, Wegener’s granulomatosis, microscopic polyangiitis and also Behcet’s syndrome, which is an area of interest for our center.

The manifestations of these disease range from eye involvement, kidney, lung and gastrointestinal problems and can be life threatening if not treated promptly and aggressively. Most patients require long term treatment until the manifestations of the disease are controlled and some may be taken off their medications at that time. However, vasculitic syndromes tend to recur which would necessitate retreatment.

Most medications used for the treatment of vasculitic syndromes need to be carefully monitored as they can potentially cause serious adverse events. These are balanced with the benefits they provide and many times they are lifesaving, however physicians are vigilant about monitoring patients while they are on these medications.

NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases has a special interest in vasculitis and has one of the few vasculitis centers in the country. Behcet’s Syndrome Evaluation, Treatment and Research Center at the Seligman Center for Advanced Therapeutics treats patients with not only Behcet’s syndrome but all other vasculitic syndromes as well. It conducts clinical trials and works closely with other vasculitis centers around the country and the world.

For more information call:
Center for Arthritis and Autoimmunity: 212-598-6516;
or the Seligman Center for Advanced Therapeutics: 646-356-9400.