NHLBI Educational Materials Catalog: Facts About Vasculitis
Facts About Vasculitis
Written in an easy-to-read style, this fact sheet provides essential information about vasculitis, the general term for a group of diseases that involve inflammation of blood vessels. Vasculitis can effect any size blood vessels, all the way from the smallest capillaries found in the skin to major ones like the aorta. The cause of vasculitis is not known. The immune system of people with this condition becomes "hyperactive" which leads to inflammation of your body’s tissues. This causes the walls of the blood vessels affected by vasculitis to become narrow, cutting off blood supply to organs and tissue. The fact sheet explains the types of vasculitis, causes, signs and symptoms, and treatment. Includes links to other online resources.
