What is urticarial vasculitis?
Urticarial vasculitis is a form of vasculitis that affects the skin, causing wheals or hives and/or red patches due to swelling of the small blood vessels. It has two forms: One with normal levels of proteins called complements; the other with low levels of complements; it’s called hypocomplementemic vasculitis.
Who gets urticarial vasculitis?
Both males and females get the disease.
What causes urticarial vasculitis?
The cause of most cases of urticarial vasculitis is unknown. It may be associated with a number of diseases, especially systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis and Sjögren’s syndrome. Some cancers, including leukemias, colon and pancreatic, and infections like Hepatitis B and C can cause this form of vasculitis. So can some drugs, including antibiotics, ACE inhibitors used for treating high blood pressure, and certain diuretics.
How is urticarial vasculitis diagnosed?
Diagnosis is based on characteristic patches in the skin. Sometimes a biopsy is ordered to show inflammation in the skin and damage of small blood vessels with white blood cells. Since it’s often associated with a number of different diseases, it’s often necessary to do other tests and exams to rule out underlying conditions like lupus erythematosus or cancer. Tests of vital organs may also be indicated, especially when the blood levels of complement are low.
What is the treatment for urticarial vasculitis?
Treatment depends on the extent of symptoms and organ involvement. When levels of complement are normal and there is no internal organ involvement or underlying disease, the symptoms may improve on their own or with minimal treatment. In this case, antihistamines or nonsteroidal drugs such as ibuprofen or naproxen may be helpful. For more severe cases, other drugs which affect the immune system may be needed, such as corticosteroids (prednisone, others), hydroxychloroquine, colchicine, dapsone; and chemotherapies like azathioprine or cyclophosphamide. Treatment may be intermittent, although it is not uncommon for patients to need treatment for several years.