Management of Pulmonary Vasculitis: A Concise Review

The pulmonary vasculitides are an uncommon group of disorders that are characterized by inflammation and necrosis of the blood vessel wall, usually involving the small and medium-sized blood vessels in the lung. Management has traditionally involved the use of immunosuppressive agents and newer adjunctive therapies such as plasmapheresis. Recent trials over the last decade have highlighted the successful use of these agents in treating this life-threatening illness; however, much remains unknown in terms of exact dosing of these agents and duration of treatment. Adverse events from these therapies remain a serious concern requiring close monitoring and a multidisciplinary approach. Other advances in this field include exploration of newer drugs, some of which are currently being used in randomized trials. This review is an update on the advances made in the management of pulmonary vasculitis over recent years, along with a suggested uniform approach to management based on disease severity classification.