Rheumatoid vasculitis: Experience with 13 patients and review of the literature

Rheumatoid arthritis: A review of the cutaneous manifestations

“…135 Other findings include anemia, leukopenia, leukocytosis, eosinophilia, thrombocytosis, elevated ESR, and abnormal nerve conduction velocities. 164 Increased ESR and nerve conduction have relatively higher associations with RV. 164 Significant morbidity and mortality can occur in patients with RV, partly because of its wide spectrum of cutaneous and systemic manifestations.…”

“…164 Increased ESR and nerve conduction have relatively higher associations with RV. 164 Significant morbidity and mortality can occur in patients with RV, partly because of its wide spectrum of cutaneous and systemic manifestations. 138 Mortality can reach 43% (140), especially within 6 months of the onset of vasculitis.…”

“…76,164 The strongest laboratory finding is RF seropositivity. 135 Other findings include anemia, leukopenia, leukocytosis, eosinophilia, thrombocytosis, elevated ESR, and abnormal nerve conduction velocities.…”

“…84 About 66% of patients, in a report by Schneider et al, had stabilization or improvement with a regimen of NSAIDs for pure sensory neuropathy or digital lesions and penicillamine, cytotoxic drugs, or plasmapheresis for mononeuritis, gangrene, or leg ulcers. 164 Chronic vasculitic leg ulcers may benefit from topical nerve growth factor, with rapid healing in 2 weeks and complete resolution in 5-8 weeks. 144 Nerve growth factor, which is not available in the United States, results in increased keratinocyte proliferation and vascular neoangiogenesis.…”

Treatment of vasculitis.

“…It has been reported to be successful in other vasculitides associated with circulating immune complexes including leukocytoclastic vasculitis (Wysenbeek et al, 1982), Henoch-Schonlein purpura (Joseph et al, 1987;Kauffman & Houwest, 1981) and rheumatoid vasculitis (Sakamoto et al, 1985;Wiklestein et al, 1984;Schneider et al, 1985). Following its success in treating Goodpasture's syndrome, plasmapheresis was used in nine patients with severe crescentic glomerulonephritis of heterogenous aetiology (Lockwood et al, 1977).…”