[A complex clinical case of polyarteritis nodosa through the prism of kidneys]

Polyarteritis nodosa is a chronic systemic vasculitis, characterized by the autoimmune, necrotising lesion of the walls of the small- and medium-bore visceral and peripheral arteries, resulting in vessel aneurysms and the secondary degeneration of organs and systems. All types of vessels (arteries, veins, capillaries) can be affected or, alternatively, the process can be limited predominantly to the vessels of one system, the clinical symptoms depending on the bore and location of the affected vessels. Varying degrees of the lesion, varying combinations and sequencing, the compensation abilities of the vessel disorders can blur the clinical picture, even though early pathomorphological changes are quite pronounced. The article presents the clinical case of a later stage of polyarteritis nodosa, which demonstrates the polymorphism of clinical symptoms and the necessity of applying modern diagnostic methods and a timely treatment with a view to reducing the frequency of fatal outcomes.