engleski

Epidemiological characteristics of childhood vasculitides: a retrospective study over the last 10 years.

Introduction: Vasculitis syndromes comprise a heterogeneous group of disorders sharing the hystopathologic features of inflammation and necrosis in blood vessels, which can lead to tissue damage.Aim: To analyze characteristics of the presenting and cumulative clinical features, laboratory features, treatment modalities, disease activity and outcome of children with vasculitis.Methods: All patients aged from 1 to 18 years and diagnosed during the period 1998–2010 at Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Croatia, as having vasculitis according EULAR/PRES criteria were enrolled into the study.Results: There were 182 children diagnosed as having vasculitis, 90 girls and 92 boys, with the mean age at disease onset (±SD) 10.08 ± 3.53 years. Henoch-Schonlein purpura was present in 126 patients (69, 2%), cutaneous leucocytoclastic vasculitis in 16 (8, 8%), polyarteritis nodosa in 12 (6, 6%), vasculitis associated with connective tissue diseases in 10 (5, 5%), hypersensitivity vasculitis in 12 (6, 6%), and Kawasaki disease in 6 (3, 3%). White cell count, ESR and CRP were mildly elevated in the most patient. Antistreptolysin O was elevated in 127 patients (69%). Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies were positive in only 6 patients (3, 3%). No relation was found between the severity of skin involvement and involvement of other organs. Supportive measures of treatment in the form of non-steroidal inflammatory drugs were the mode of treatment in the majority of patients, while patients with organ involvement were treated with corticosteroids, immunosuppresives, immunoglobulines intravenously, plasmapheresis and rituximab. During the follow-up, two patients with mycroscopic polyangiitis died due to chronic renal failure and one patient developed intestinal perforation.Conclusion: Comparing to American, European and Turkish studies we found a difference in the distribution of childhood vasculitides, while clinical, laboratory features and therapy regimens were similar.

vasculitis; epidemiological characteristics; children

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