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Polyarteritis nodosa - Symptom

Alternative Names

Periarteritis nodosa

Symptoms:

Symptoms result from damage to affected organs, often the skin, heart, kidneys, and nervous system.

Generalized symptoms include:

Nerve involvement may cause sensory changes with numbness, pain, burning, and weakness. Central nervous system involvement may cause strokes or seizures. Kidney involvement can produce varying degrees of renal (kidney) failure.

When heart arteries are involved, heart attack, heart failure, and inflammation of the sac around the heart (pericarditis) can occur.

Signs and tests:

There are no specific lab tests for diagnosing polyarteritis nodosa. Diagnosis is based on the physical examination and a few laboratory studies that help to confirm the diagnosis:

Arteriogram to see any changes in the smaller arteries
CBC may show a higher than normal white blood count
ESR or CRP is often higher than normal
Tissue biopsy reveals inflammation in small arteries, called arteritis
Immunoglobulins may be increased

Polyarteritis, microscopic on the shin

Microscopic polyarteritis 2

Circulatory system

Reviewed last on: 9/7/2010
Mark James Borigini, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Sergent JS. Polyarteritis and related disorders. In: Harris ED Jr., Budd RC, Genovese MC, Firestein GS, Sargent JS, eds. Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2008: chap 83.

Stone JH. The systemic vasculitides. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007: chap 291.

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