Polyarteritis Nodosa(PAN; Periarteritis Nodosa)Pronounced: polly-ar-ter-ITIS no-DO-sah
by
Diane A. Safer, PhD DefinitionPolyarteritis nodosa (PAN) is a blood vessel disease. Medium sized arteries become inflamed. Sometimes, smaller arteries are involved. This leads to problems with the organs. CausesThe cause of PAN is unknown. The immune system attacks healthy arteries. This causes inflammation. It’s not known what causes the immune system to be overactive. Risk FactorsPAN is more common in people aged 40 to 60 years of old, but it can happen at any age. It is also more common in men. Your chances of PAN are higher if with:
SymptomsPAN affects the whole body at the same time. Common problems include:
DiagnosisYour doctor will ask about your symptoms and health history. Your answers may point to PAN. There is no specific test that detects PAN. You may have:
TreatmentEarly diagnosis and care may improve the outcome. Care may be aggressive. The goal is to reduce inflammation of the arteries to bring on a remission. Without care, the condition can lead to death. Medicines will:
PreventionThere is no way to prevent PAN since the cause is unknown. RESOURCES:The Polyarteritis Nodosa Research and Support Network http://www.pansupportnetwork.org Vasculitis Foundation https://www.vasculitisfoundation.org CANADIAN RESOURCES:CORD—Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders http://www.raredisorders.ca Canadian Rheumatology Association https://rheum.ca References:
Polyarteritis nodosa. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at:
http://www.dynamed...
. Updated April 7, 2017. Accessed July 10, 2018.
Types of vasculitis: polyarteritis nodosa. The Johns Hopkins Vasculitis Center website. Available at:
https://www.hopkinsvasculitis.org/types-vasculitis/polyarteritis-nodosa. Accessed July 10, 2018. Last reviewed May 2018 by
EBSCO Medical Review Board
Michael J. Fucci, DO, FACC Last Updated: 7/10/2018 |
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