Childhood vasculitis

Vasculitis can and does occur in childhood. Apart from the relatively common vasculitides (Henoch-Schonlein purpura, Kawasaki disease and in world wide terms Takayasu disease) there are a number of important but comparatively rare disorders affecting children. These include macroscopic and microscopic polyarteritis, cutaneous polyarteritis, Wegener's granulomatosis, Churg-Strauss syndrome, primary angiitis of the central nervous system, hypersensitivity angiitis, hypocomplimentaemic urticarial vasculitis, vasculitis associated with various connective tissue disorders and vasculitis associated with conditions such as Behcets syndrome, familial Mediterranean fever and Cogan's syndrome. Distinguishing these conditions from other disorders is often difficult and requires clinical acumen and appropriate investigative procedures. With modem therapeutic agents, it is possible to implement appropriate therapy but in spite of this, there remains a not inconsequential morbidity and mortality.