© Dirk Biddle
In the interests of verifiability: The method used to produce this article was to use Google to search for a main term or phrase and then I browsed through the first 10 or 20 “hits”, and then summarised and edited the main points contained within each. Sometimes links within links were also followed. The reader should be able to verify any contentious point by utilising the same method. Where online sources disagreed (and this was more often than should be) wherever possible verification of the summary was then conducted by reference to published journal articles. Thus I have included nothing that is not generally agreed upon or has not been scientifically verified. Unfortunately, when I set out to write this article it was not with a scientific approach in mind. It was initially intended as a short summary. However, the further I went the more I realised of the story needed to be told. I am working on getting the references into the document, but in the meantime, this will have to suffice. The glossary was constructed utilising two online medical dictionary sources: the MedlinePlus: Medical Dictionary and the Online Medical Dictionary from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. The definitions drawn from each are marked M+ and OMD respectively. The reader is strongly encouraged to refer often to the glossary.
The Vasculitides are inflammatory, destructive processes affecting arteries and veins. They are serious and sometimes fatal conditions that require prompt recognition and therapy and may affect virtually any organ in the body including the lymph vessels, skin, muscles, nerves and kidneys. They are rare diseases with incidences sometimes measured in individuals per million of population and they are often difficult to classify, describe, and diagnose, not only as their cause (or causes) are often unknown, but also because their pathologies often overlap; with other vasculitis conditions and with other disease processes. Further, their symptoms are often non-specific, suggesting a range of alternative and possibly unrelated syndromes. They are particularly unpleasant diseases to contract, not only because of the destructive systemic affects they have on the body, but also because their treatment often involves medications that have adverse side-effects and that often need to be administered over years, if not a lifetime. None of the vasculitides are known to be contagious.
A quick internet search will turn up many articles on the vasculitides, however often they are couched in terminology difficult for the layman to interpret, often they are not comprehensive enough to satisfy intellectual curiosity, and often they disagree with each other in terms of the basic information they present, such as prevalence rates, descriptive terminology and nomenclature, and best practice treatment. This article attempts to provide a broad comprehensive overview of the vasculitides, drawing on internet sources as well as peer reviewed scientific publications, in an attempt to accurately define the major vasculitides and to clarify many of the issues and concerns surrounding them. This article will be most useful for those wishing to learn more about the vasculitides in terms of gaining a broad and comprehensive general understanding.
Please note that this article is not intended as static documentation and is therefore subject to update or ammendment as time permits and new information comes to hand. In this way, over time, more information will be added and ammendments will be made to various sections and the therefore reader is advised to check back regularly. Comments or feedback on this article are welcomed.