Although kidney inflammation is common, it, too, usually has no symptoms. Some patients experience joint pains or a form of arthritis. Other organ systems that can be involved include the eyes, nervous system, heart, and skin. Other initial symptoms include fever, fatigue, malaise, loss of appetite, weight loss, joint pain, night sweats, changes in color of urine, weakness. Be aware that all WG patients do NOT experience all of the above symptoms, and that the severity of this disease is different with each patient.
Fever is often present, sometimes resulting from bacterial infection in the sinuses.
One-third of patients may be without symptoms at onset of disease. 10 Diagnosis Laboratory tests are not specific for WG and only suggest that the patient has an inflammatory disease. For the most effective treatment, early diagnosis is critical. Asymptomatic patients can be diagnosed by ANCA blood tests and CT scans of sinuses and lungs. Complete Blood Count will often show anemia, elevated white counts, elevated platelet counts.