Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0039483 (giant cell arteritis)
 3,204 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Systemic vasculitis represents a broad range of diseases characterized by the presence of blood vessel inflammation. Immunosuppressive therapy forms the foundation of treatment for almost all forms of systemic vasculitis. Newer agents such as mycophenolate mofetil, rituximab and tumour necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors are finding new indications in the therapy of conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, skin vasculitis, cytoplasmic antineutrophil antibodies-positive vasculitis, sarcoidosis, ocular inflammation, nephritis, inflammatory bowel disease and Takayasu's arteritis. However, older agents such as methotrexate, cyclophosphamide and interferon-alpha are still being explored for newer, more effective and less toxic indications in conditions such as giant cell arteritis and cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa.
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PMID:Pharmacological therapy of vasculitis: an update. 1506 63

Vasculitis affecting the peripheral nerves predominantly manifests as subacute, progressive, asymmetric sensorimotor polyneuropathy or mononeuritis multiplex, and more rarely as painful mononeuropathy, pure sensory neuropathy, neuropathy of the cranial nerves, plexopathy, or as autonomic neuropathy. Vasculitic neuropathy may occur isolated or non-isolated (systemic) together with involvement of other organs. Systemic vasculitis with involvement of the peripheral nerves is further subdivided into primary (Takayasu syndrome, giant cell arteritis, classical panarteritis nodosa, thrombangitis obliterans, Kawasaki disease, Churg-Strauss syndrome, Wegener granulomatosis, cryoglobulinemic vasculitis, Behcet disease, microscopic polyangitis, Schoenlein Henoch purpura) or secondary systemic vasculitis (autoimmune connective tissue diseases, vasculitis from infection, sarcoidosis, malignancy, drugs, radiation, or diabetes). In addition to routine laboratory investigations and nerve conduction studies, nerve biopsy is essential for diagnosing the condition and to delineate it from differentials, although its sensitivity is only approximately 60%. Therapy of non-viral vasculitic neuropathy is based on corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide alone or in combination. Additional options include azathioprine, methotrexate, mycophenolate mofetil, or rituximab. In single cases immunoglobulins, immunoadsorbtion, or plasma exchange have been successfully applied. In case of virus-associated vasculitis interferon-alpha plus lamivudine or ribaverin may be beneficial.
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PMID:Systemic and non-systemic vasculitis affecting the peripheral nerves. 1968 41