Vasculitis

Abstract

Vasculitis is defined as inflammation of blood vessel walls. There are many types of vasculitis, lending to its variable clinical presentation, with or without systemic involvement. The diagnosis of specific vasculitides can be difficult, given much overlap in clinical manifestations, serum laboratory tests, and tissue histopathology. In addition, it is essential to differentiate benign, self-limited forms of vasculitis from those that may be life-threatening.