[Vasculitis - diagnostic and therapeutic advances]

Vasculitis is characterized by inflammation and necrosis of blood vessels walls. It represents a heterogeneous group of conditions, whose etiopathogenic mechanisms remain unclear. Although uncommon, with an annual incidence of 40-54 cases per 1.000.000 persons, this is an important cause of multiorganic dysfunction and premature mortality. Depending on the affected vessels, it can cause diverse clinical presentations, which makes difficult its recognition. It is therefore a challenge for any clinician. This paper reviews the diagnostic and therapeutic advances of the most common forms of vasculitis, in order to optimize the approach and management of this clinical entity. We have conducted a search in Medline database on articles written in English, published for the last 10 years using the keywords: vasculitis, epidemiology, classification, diagnosis and treatment. To minimize the impact of vasculitis it is essential an early diagnosis, allowing a timely institution of the appropriate treatment. The diagnosis depends on the integration of clinical, laboratory, imaging and histopathologic data. According to the clinical condition, it may be indicated the removal of the offending antigen, the treatment of the underlying disease or specific treatment of the primary vasculitis. The introduction of immunosuppressive therapy with glucocorticoids and cyclophosphamide has revolutionized the prognosis of these patients but, despite its efficacy, it is associated with frequent relapses and significant toxicity. The study of the pathogenesis has been providing more effective and safer diagnostic and therapeutic options, for example B-cell depleting agents, but additional studies are needed to confirm the potential of these alternatives.