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© Dirk Biddle
The infiltration of leucocytes into blood vessel walls may cause necrotising vasculitis. This is an inflammatory condition of the blood vessels characterized by neutrophilic infiltrate with nuclear fragmentation, tissue death, scarring, and proliferation (a rapid reproduction of tissue) resulting in a thickening of the vessel walls, which may in turn result in a blockage that causes the death of some or all of an organ. Necrotising vasculitis may affect blood vessels in any part of the body, including the skin, muscles, heart and kidneys.
Primary vasculitides such as Churg-Strauss syndrome, Giant cell (temporal) arteritis, Henoch-Schönlein purpura, Polyarteritis Nodosa, Takayasu’s arteritis, and Wegener’s granulomatosis, and secondary vasculitides such as Systemic lupus erythematosus and Sclerosis, often present with a necrotising vasculitis component.
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Leucocytes: (White Blood Cell) a cell which circulates in the blood and lymphatic system and harbours in the lymph glands and spleen. They are part of the immune system responsible for both directly (T-cells and macrophages) and indirectly (B-cells producing antibodies) attacking foreign invaders of the body. They are colourless, lack haemoglobin, contain a nucleus, and include the lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils. (OMD)
Necrosis: The sum of the morphological changes indicative of cell death and caused by the progressive degradative action of enzymes. It may affect groups of cells or part of a structure or an organ. (OMD)
Death of living tissue; specifically: death of a portion of tissue differentially affected by local injury (as loss of blood supply, corrosion, burning, or the local lesion of a disease). (M+)
Hence 'necrotising'; the causing of tissue death.