8 Vasculitis by organ systems

Systemic vasculitides, hitherto thought to be a rare clinical entity, are now rarely considered to be an uncommon disorder and patients are often seen between several departments, suffering from a non-infectious systemic disease with multiorgan involvement. Systemic vasculitis not only poses a major management problem but also has a significant impact on healthcare resources. The clinical outcome of a vasculitic illness depends on a number of factors, such as aetiology of the vasculitic process, site, size and number of blood vessels affected, duration and severity of the disease and also the complications associated with the disease or its therapy.