Churg-Strauss syndrome

Abstract

A syndrome comprising asthma, allergic rhinitis, pulmonary and systemic small-vessel vasculitis, and extravascular granulomas was described in 1951 by Churg and Strauss, mainly from autopsied cases (1). Clinical studies of patients with polyarteritis nodosa, associated asthma, pulmonary infiltrates, and eosinophilia had been reported previously (2-5). Churg and Strauss described the pathologic lesions and distinguished this entity from polyarteritis nodosa. They described basic anatomic changes consisting of 'widespread vascular lesions of the type seen in polyarteritis nodosa, and of characteristic tissue alteration in the vessel wall and in the extravascular system. This tissue alteration ... comprised necrosis of eosinophilic exudate, severe 'fibrinoid' collagen change, and granulomatous proliferation of epithelioid and giant cells.' Churg and Strauss considered it to be a distinct histopathologic entity which they termed 'allergic granuloma'.