What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Vasculitis?

Vasculitis can have many different signs and symptoms depending on the type of vasculitis and which organs are involved as well as how severely they are affected. With vasculitis, any number of organs may be involved, so a patient can experience very few signs and symptoms or may be very sick.

There are two types of signs and symptoms that are common among people with vasculitis: those that affect the body in a general way (systemic) and those that affect specific organs or body systems.

Systemic

Systemic signs and symptoms are not specific to a particular part of the body, but affect a person overall, causing general aches, pains, and sickness. Common systemic symptoms include:

• Fever
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Fatigue (feeling tired) and weakness
• General aches and pains

Organ- or Body System-Specific

These signs and symptoms are specific to a particular organ or body system. The organs and body systems that can be affected include:

• Skin. People may experience a variety of skin changes, including purple or red spots. The changes may look like clusters of small dots, splotches, bruises, or hives. They may be itchy or painless.
• Joints. People can experience aches and arthritis if the joints are affected.
• Lungs. People may experience shortness of breath or even cough up blood. On a chest x ray, lung symptoms may look like pneumonia, even though they are not.
• Gastrointestinal tract. Ulcers in the mouth may be present in some types of vasculitis. Also, abdominal pain or bloody diarrhea can occur in people with vasculitis. In some severe cases, the intestines can rupture.
• Sinuses, nose, and ears. People may experience sinus infections, chronic middle ear infections, ulcers in the nose, or in certain cases there may be hearing loss.
• Eyes. People whose eyes are affected by vasculitis may experience a blurring or loss of vision.
• Brain. People may experience headaches, confusion, changes in behavior, or strokes.
• Nerves. People may experience numbness, tingling, and weakness in various parts of the body. They also may experience symptoms in their limbs, such as loss of feeling or strength in the hands and feet or shooting pains in the arms and legs.