“…The diffuse arteritis, the deposition of immunocomplexes on the vessel walls, the detection of C3 and C5, and the presence of an intravascular disseminated coagulation and a membranous glomerulonephritis has led many authors (HAYASHI et al, 1977(HAYASHI et al, ,1983PEDERSEN and BOYL,E, 1980;WEBS et al, 1980;WHSS and SCOTT, 1981;JACOBSE-GEES et al, 1982;FENNER, 1987;GERBER et al, 1990;PASTORET and BOURTONBOY, 1991;PEDERSEN, 1995) to ascribe the pathogenesis of fibrinous lesions of F W to a type I11 hypersensitivity reaction. This phenomenon would explain the pathogenesis of the vasculitis with effusions but perivisceral granulomas could be due to a type IV hypersensitivity reaction w i t h involvement of cellmediated immunity.…”