Diagnosing vasculitis is a clinical challenge because it is a syndrome, not a specific disease. Diagnosing vasculitis is a clinical challenge because it is a syndrome, not a specific disease. Other variables include the size, and the histopathologic process of each type of vasculitis. Experience shows that any size, location, and type of vessel may be involved in the inflammatory process. The initial presentation of vasculitis can be as varied as the syndrome.
Some patients have persistent constitutional symptoms, such as lingering cold.
In some cases the lungs are markedly involved, in the form of pneumonia or asthma. A patient with hypersensitivity vasculitis may initially present with a skin rash. Physicians may find that a suspicion of vasculitis often enters into differential diagnosis of many patients. Signs and symptoms that characteristic of vasculitis include abnormal liver function, fever, neurologic complaints, hypertension, and renal disorders. Simple laboratory tests, including a white blood cell count and sedimentation rate, are useful for ruling out the most serious vasculitides.