Gastrointestinal tract involvement in polyarteritis nodosa and Churg-Strauss syndrome

To study the nature and incidence of gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations in polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) and Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) and define their therapeutic and prognostic implications.

Fifty-three patients (29 males, 24 females) affected with PAN or CSS and followed in our institution were included in a retrospective study. Patients were divided into 2 groups: patients without GI manifestations (group A) and patients with GI manifestations (group B). Among patients with GI manifestations we have studied a subgroup with a possibly poorer prognosis in whom the following symptoms were present: GI tract hemorrhage, intestinal perforation, digestive tract surgery due to PAN manifestations, intractable abdominal pain and weight loss greater than 20% of normal weight due to GI tract ischemia.

The clinical manifestations were those that are classically encountered in PAN and CSS. Every patient fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for PAN and CSS. Thirty-five patients without GI manifestations were included in group A and 18 patients (34%) with GI manifestations in group B. The mean age of the group at the time of diagnosis was 56.9 +/- 19.1 years (range: 21-71 years) in group A and 47.5 +/- 16.8 years (range: 12-82) in group B. GI manifestations were considered as one of the symptoms revealing PAN in 7 (13.2%) cases. Six of the 18 patients with GI manifestations had definite organ involvement related to vasculitis. Abdominal pain without characteristic organ involvement or surgical emergency was present in 12/18 patients. HBV infection was more frequently observed in group B than in group A. Survival curves showed that at 10 years, 80% of the patients in group A were alive versus 67% in group B (P not significant). For the 9 patients with severe GI manifestations, the survival curves showed that, at 10 years, 44% of them were alive versus 80% in the other group A (p < 0.001).

GI manifestations are frequent in PAN and CSS and were present in 34% of our patients. Prognosis of PAN with GI manifestations is not statistically different than in PAN without GI involvement, except for patients with severe digestive complications.