Hemorrhagic vasculitis - causes and signs of hemorrhagic vasculitis

According to the form of manifestation, the disease is divided into the following types: cutaneous, articular, abdominal (in case of involvement of the digestive tract), renal, combined (the most common combination is damage to the dermis and joints).

By the type of course, it is: fulminant - develops over several days, acute - the period of the course is up to 30-40 days, protracted - up to two months or more, recurrent - in case of repeated appearance of signs of the disease more than 3-4 times, chronic - manifestations persist for more than one and a half years, the time of exacerbation alternates with attenuation.

There are three degrees of manifestation:

• Minor - body temperature is normal or slightly elevated, rashes on the dermis are not very abundant, ESR - up to 20 mm / h.
• Average - the temperature rises above 38 degrees, phenomena are noted intoxication, skin syndrome is pronounced.
• High - the temperature is high, the corresponding syndrome is well expressed, damage to the central nervous system can be observed, ESR is over 40 mm / h.

Causes

The disease can appear due to the influence of the following factors: a previous infectious disease of viral etiology (flu, sore throat, chickenpox, etc.), side effects of serums and vaccines, bites of some insects, a reaction to certain medications; hypothermia.

During therapy, physical activity should be limited, and contact with allergens should be excluded.

Symptoms

You can suspect the development of malaise in the presence of certain signs. For example:

• small hemorrhages on the surface of the skin, on the hands and feet, buttocks, thighs, face or torso;
• areas of pigmentation after the bleeding points have disappeared;
• pain and swelling in the joints;
• changes in the redness of the dermis;
• pain in the abdomen, mainly in the navel area;
• vomiting or diarrhea;
• blood in the urine;
• increased pressure;
• facial swelling;
• dizziness, shortness of breath, feeling of fatigue.

Diagnostics

To establish a diagnosis, If a disease is suspected, rheumatologists conduct various studies. Among them:

• external examination and patient survey;
• general blood test (initially the cells remain within normal limits, later the number of leukocytes may increase, as well as a decrease in erythrocytes and hemoglobin. The sedimentation rate of the latter increases moderately);
• urine analysis to determine the number of erythrocytes in it (if bleeding from the kidneys or urinary tract continues, these components appear);
• stool analysis to detect blood impurities (if intestinal hemorrhage forms, ichor is visible in the feces);
• biochemical plasma analysis to determine the level of cholesterol, creatinine, glucose, uric acid (a breakdown product of substances from the cell nucleus), electrolytes (potassium, sodium, calcium) to identify concomitant abnormalities.
• establishment of immune status (reveals antibodies to bacteria and viruses - special protein substances produced by the body to destroy foreign formations);
• examination to detect viruses in the body (especially for the presence of hepatitis B and C pathogens);
• conducting a pinch, tourniquet or cuff test to determine the tendency to subcutaneous hemorrhages;
• ultrasound of the kidneys and digestive tract;
• biopsy of the kidneys or skin;
• endoscopic examination of the stomach, colon, rectum and other organs.

Treatment

The following methods are used to eliminate the manifestations of malaise: prescribing a hypoallergenic diet, taking enterosorbents to remove toxins from the intestines, implementation of antiplatelet therapy to prevent the formation of blood clots and improve blood circulation in small vessels, taking antihistamines and glucocorticoids, prescribing antibacterial agents, using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, prescribing cytostatics to normalize immune activity; using plasmapheresis to purify the blood.

Prevention

The main preventive measures aimed at preventing the formation of pathology include the following actions: increasing the body's defenses (hardening, staying in the fresh air, balanced nutrition), timely getting rid of chronic deviations (tonsillitis, caries), preventing hypothermia, avoiding excessive physical activity, eliminating alcohol and smoking.