Renal vasculitis occurs in the setting of autoimmune inflammation of small blood vessels - Wegener granulomatosis, Churg-Strauss syndrome, and microscopic polyangiitis. Rapidly progressive and/or necrotizing glomerulonephritis are the histopathological hallmarks of this condition, with main manifestations being proteinuria and hematuria. The diagnosis requires laboratory workup and biopsy.
Presentation
Renal vasculitis may develop in patients suffering from vasculitis affecting smaller vessels, as is the case in ANCA-associated vasculitides (ANCA means antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody) [1] [2]. Wegener granulomatosis, microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), and Churg-Strauss syndrome (also known as eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis) are described as potential causes of renal vasculitis. The clinical presentation of these diseases, although varying in terms of non-renal manifestations, have similar features regarding the kidneys. Hematuria and proteinuria, as well as the presence of white blood cells, casts, and crystals in urine sediment are typical findings [2]. Acute kidney injury (AKI), defined as a rapid decrease in kidney function causing azotemia and electrolyte disbalance, is frequently encountered in patients who develop rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN), which is a typical lesion seen in more severe renal injury due to autoimmune mechanisms. In most severe cases, end-stage renal disease (ESRD) due to RPGN may occur in a very short time span, especially in absence of a prompt and accurate diagnosis [2]. Despite the fact that large and medium-sized vessels vasculitic syndromes (such as Takayasu and Kawasaki arteritis, polyarteritis nodosa, and giant cell arteritis) rarely cause glomerulonephritis, these diseases are important causes of renal vasculitis as well [3] [4].
Entire Body System
- Falling
This is the speed at which red blood cells fall to the bottom of a tube. It usually takes about an hour. A sed rate test can help determine whether there is inflammation in the body, and if so, how severe it is. [medicalnewstoday.com]
Lavage fluid that remains hemorrhagic after sequential sampling establishes diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, especially when hematocrit is falling. [merckmanuals.com]
As therapies for SLE improve, so the prevalence of life-threatening renal disease associated with the condition is falling. [patient.info]
Yes, patients with vasculitis should get a flu shot every fall. The treatments taken by most patients with vasculitis make them at higher risk of getting infections like influenza A, which could be severe. [vasculitisfoundation.org]
Improvement (fall in SCr > 25% or rise in CrCl > 25%; recovery of renal function in those initially on dialysis) 2. SCr 3. Dialysis 4. Death 5. Adverse event Rifle 1980 PE. [bmcnephrol.biomedcentral.com]
- Sepsis
Leukopenia, caused by immunosuppressive therapy, should be avoided because of the close association with sepsis and death. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Click here to view The major complications included azathio-prine-induced bone marrow toxicity (two cases), intercostal herpes zoster (one case) and severe sepsis (eight cases). [sjkdt.org]
Diseases with widespread embolization to different organs (e.g., atheroembolic disease, endocarditis, antiphospholipid syndrome, and atrial myxoma) can produce similar clinical presentations. 9 Persons with sepsis can also present with multisystem involvement [aafp.org]
Kambas K, Mitroulis I, Apostolidou E, Girod A, Chrysanthopoulou A, et al. (2012) Autophagy mediates the delivery of thrombogenic tissue factor to neutrophil extracellular traps in human sepsis. PLoS One 7: e45427. View Article Google Scholar 15. [journals.plos.org]
- Congestive Heart Failure
None Stated Stegmayr 1999 RPGN ≥ 50% crescents; included WG, Goodpasture's syndrome, MPA HIV, hepatitis A, B or C virus, severe congestive heart failure, malignancy, septicaemia. [bmcnephrol.biomedcentral.com]
Respiratoric
- Pneumonia
Diffuse pneumonia associated with infectious mononucleosis – detection of Epstein-Barr virus in lung tissue by in situ hybridi-zation. Clinical Infectious Disease, 22 (1996), pp. 578-579 [16.] A. Pfleger, E. Eber, H. Popper, M. Zach. [journalpulmonology.org]
Serologic testing Sometimes lung and renal biopsies Pulmonary-renal syndrome is suspected in patients with hemoptysis not obviously attributable to other causes (eg, pneumonia, carcinoma, bronchiectasis ), particularly when hemoptysis is accompanied by [merckmanuals.com]
There is a risk of severe urine infection or pneumonia during the first few months of treatment and any fevers or possible infection should be reported urgently to your doctor. [kidney.org.uk]
Cardiovascular
- Hypertension
Hypertensive nephropathy/nephrosclerosis See also the separate article on Hypertension. Renal disease can cause hypertension; however, sustained hypertension damages the vasculature of the kidneys. [patient.info]
Percutaneous angioplasty in clinical management of renovascular hypertension: initial and long-term results. [books.google.com]
Our results demonstrated that more hypertensive patients and higher BVAS were found in patients with AKI-F than those in other groups (p CONCLUSIONS: The RILFE criteria is a valid measurement of both prognosis and progression in patients with AASV. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
The prevalence of hypertension in cases of Takayasu’s arteritis was lower in our dataset than in other studies ( 2, 9 ). [tidsskriftet.no]
- Hypotension
He became more anemic, with hemoglobin dropping to 8.7 g/L, and hypotension persisted. [cjasn.asnjournals.org]
Introduction A huge variety of systemic conditions can affect the function of the kidneys, from acute illnesses (including, for example, prolonged hypotension) to drugs and more insidious illnesses. [patient.info]
- Heart Failure
Proportion of patients with a severe adverse event (Time Frame: 6 months) Secondary outcomes Proportion of patients with treatment failure (Time Frame: 12 months) Treatment failure is defined as the failure to achieve a vasculitis response by six months [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
None Stated Stegmayr 1999 RPGN ≥ 50% crescents; included WG, Goodpasture's syndrome, MPA HIV, hepatitis A, B or C virus, severe congestive heart failure, malignancy, septicaemia. [bmcnephrol.biomedcentral.com]
Skin
- Skin Disease
PEXIVAS is funded by the National Institutes of Health Research (UK), the Food and Drug Administration Office of Orphan Drugs Program (USA) (R01FD003516), the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (USA) (U54AR057319), the [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
- Petechiae
Rash including palpable purpura, petechiae, ecchymosis, ulceration, nodules, livido reticularis and urticaria can also be seen on the extremities or trunk. [renalandurologynews.com]
Face, Head & Neck
- Epistaxis
Two of them had a history of arthralgias, epistaxis, severe anemia and repetitive miscarriages, and one of them had bronchial asthma. The clinical picture began with a constitutional syndrome. [revistanefrologia.com]
RESPIRATORY: UPPER/LOWER • SINUSITIS • EPISTAXIS Or…….. .Pulmonary infiltrates • Nodules • Cavities 1/20/2017 20. [slideshare.net]
Nasal disease presents with obstruction, nasal ulcers and septal perforation, serosanguinous discharge, or epistaxis. Destruction of the nasal septum results in the typical saddle-nose deformity. [thermofisher.com]
Organ specific involvement can result in specific clinical features: Ear, nose, throat (usually mild and typically non-destructive compared with GPA): nasal congestion, sinusitis, epistaxis. Eyes (redness, pain, blurred vision, diplopia, retinitis). [rheumatologyadvisor.com]
The patient presented to his local hospital when he developed hemoptysis, epistaxis, and sinusitis, as well as a worsening of his shortness of breath, rash. and arthralgias. He had lost 3.5 kg in weight during the course of his illness. [cjasn.asnjournals.org]
Neurologic
- Lethargy
Abstract We report the case of a 62-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis treated with adalimumab, an anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha drug, who presented with 4 weeks of lethargy, upper respiratory tract symptoms, a vasculitic skin rash, and rapidly [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
CASE REPORT A 7-year-old girl in good health presented with confusion, lethargy, and right-sided weakness for ∼2 hours on the day of admission. [pediatrics.aappublications.org]
Symptoms Symptoms of kidney failure are non-specific and often mixed up with other symptoms of vasculitis, including tiredness, lethargy and loss of appetite. There is very little nerve supply to the kidneys so pain is rarely a feature. [vasculitis.org.uk]
- Hyperactivity
Reflexes were hyperactive on the left with crossed adductors and triple flexion withdrawal, as well as bilateral plantar extensors. Ankle clonus was present bilaterally. No seizures occurred. [pediatrics.aappublications.org]
Workup
To make the diagnosis of vasculitis, it is necessary to obtain a thorough patient history and conduct a detailed physical examination. If hematuria is noted, parameters of kidney function - creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and serum electrolytes should be evaluated [5]. Furthermore, determination of proteinuria, as well as the presence of red and white blood cells, casts, and crystals can be achieved by simple urine testing and are valid indicators of glomerular damage [5]. Detection of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (both perinuclear and cytoplasmic, or p-ANCA and c-ANCA, respectively) in serum may be of a great help in making the diagnosis of small vessel vasculitis, but large titers are observed in all cases of ANCA-associated vasculitides, necessitating additional procedures to confirm the underlying disease [5]. Ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used as adjunctive procedures, but the use of a contrast needs to be avoided, as further damage to the kidneys may occur [5]. Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) is an important imaging study if solid clinical suspicion of vasculitis exists, mainly because it shows which organs are affected by vasculitis [2]. To confirm the diagnosis, the kidney biopsy is the gold standard [2]. Segmental fibrinoid necrosis, an absence of immune deposits in the glomeruli (as seen in pauci-immune glomerulonephritis), and the presence of glomerular crescents are frequently present in ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis [2] [3].
Other Pathologies
- Fibrinoid Necrosis
During the initial illness there was histological evidence of glomerular damage but at the time of relapse renal biopsy showed the remaining glomeruli to be normal with the destructive process causing fibrinoid necrosis of arteries. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Segmental fibrinoid necrosis, an absence of immune deposits in the glomeruli (as seen in pauci-immune glomerulonephritis), and the presence of glomerular crescents are frequently present in ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis. [symptoma.com]
necrosis of the glomerular tuft surrounded by a cellular crescent. [endocrine-abstracts.org]
Fibrinoid necrosis of vessels promotes thrombosis of vessels followed by infarction of the tissue supplied. Fibrous thickening and mononuclear infiltration occur at a later stage. [radiopaedia.org]
Treatment
CONCLUSION: Considering the balance between suppression of disease activity and adverse effects of treatment, mizoribine may be useful for preemptive treatment for patients with ANCA-associated renal vasculitis at high risk for relapse. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Prognosis
Few studies have been published focusing on AASV patients with poor prognosis. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Etiology
According to previous reports from all over the world, the etiology, prevalence, and prognosis of RPGN including ANCA-associated renal vasculitis varies among races and periods. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Other testing for alternative etiologies such as infections or other diagnoses should be driven by clinical suspicion. [rheumatologyadvisor.com]
Associated diseases and etiologic factors in 303 patients. Medicine 1998;77:403-418. [ Links ] 68. Barnadas MA, Perez E, Gich I, et al. [scielo.org.mx]
Etiologies and outcome of acute renal insufficiency in older adults: a renal biopsy study of 259 cases. Am J Kidney Dis 2000; 35: 433-447. 6. Pascual J, Liaño F, Ortuño J. The elderly patient with acute renal failure. [uninet.edu]
Although the etiology is not always known, the incidence of vasculitis is increasing, and the diagnosis and management of patients may be challenging because of its relative infrequency, changing nomenclature, and variability of clinical expression. [aafp.org]
Epidemiology
Epidemiologic picture of Kawasaki disease in Beijing from 1995 through 1999. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2002;21(2):103-7. Mahr A, Guillevin L, Poissonnet M, Aymé S. [revistanefrologia.org]
BACKGROUND: The epidemiology of renal vasculitis in different populations is poorly understood. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Clinical and epidemiological research Rituximab versus cyclophosphamide in ANCA-associated renal vasculitis: 2-year results of a randomised trial Rachel B Jones 1, Shunsuke Furuta 1, Jan Willem Cohen Tervaert 2, Thomas Hauser 3, Raashid Luqmani 4, Matthew [ard.bmj.com]
Textbook of Systemic Vasculitis is an in-depth guide to the epidemiology, classification and genetics of systemic vasculitis as well as imaging, symptoms and management of the disease. [books.google.com]
Epidemiology of the vasculitides. Curr Opin Rheumatol 2003 ; 15 : 11 –16 3 Hoffman GS, Kerr GS, Leavitt RY et al. Wegener granulomatosis: an analysis of 158 patients. [academic.oup.com]
Pathophysiology
Both the innate and the acquired immune system are involved in the pathophysiology of renal vasculitis. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Hypersensitivity Vasculitis: Background, Pathophysiology, Epidemiology. Patel, M et al. Medscape. Available online at http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1083719-overview through http://emedicine.medscape.com. Accessed August 2015. [labtestsonline.org]
CLASSIFICATION CONFUSING and UNSATISFYING DUE TO 1.OVERLAPPING PRESENTATIONS 2.MIX OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY FORMS 3.EVOLVING UNDERSTANDING OF PATHOPHYSIOLOGY 4.EVOLVING CONSENSUS REGARDING USE OF EPONYMS 5.VARIED OPINION ON WHETHER CLASSIFCATION SHOULD [slideshare.net]
Prevention
The use of cotrimoxazole is likely to be beneficial to prevent relapse of vasculitis. AZA is effective as maintenance therapy once remission has been achieved. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Their clinical work informs and stimulates the research to define the basis of disease and potential new less toxic therapies that may prevent and treat crescentic glomerulonephritis. [monash.edu]
We use preventive approaches to help avoid kidney injury and disease, along with advanced therapies to improve kidney health and function. [umiamihealth.org]
References
- Walters G, Willis NS, Craig JC. Interventions for renal vasculitis in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;9:CD003232.
- Rowaiye OO, Kusztal M, Klinger M. The kidneys and ANCA-associated vasculitis: from pathogenesis to diagnosis. Clin Kidney J. 2015;8(3):343-350.
- John R, Herzenberg AM. Vasculitis affecting the kidney. Semin Diagn Pathol. 2009;26(2):89-102.
- Maritati F, Iannuzzella F, Pavia MP, Pasquali S, Vaglio A. Kidney involvement in medium- and large-vessel vasculitis. J Nephrol. 2016;29(4):495-505.
- Porter RS, Kaplan JL. Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy. 19th Edition. Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. Whitehouse Station, N.J; 2011.