Definition of Blood Vessel Inflammation

The medical term for blood vessel inflammation is vasculitis or angiitis. Inflammation of veins is called venulitis and inflammation of arteries is called arteritis. Vasculitis is the term used for a group of diseases that cause blood vessels inflammation.

Features

• In vasculitis, the inflammation of blood vessels causes them to become thicker. This makes it harder for the blood to move through them, and the supply of oxygen to the tissues is hindered. In extreme cases, the condition can result in blot clots and aneurysms.

Types

• There are many different diseases that feature vasculitis, but affect different blood vessels and organs. Examples include: Behcet's disease, Churg-Strauss syndrome, cryoglobulinemia, Kawasaki disease, Takayasu's arteritis and Henoch-Schönlein purpura.

Causes

• The exact cause of blood vessel inflammation is not known; although, it is accompanied by a weak immune system. Infectious diseases like, hepatitis B and cancer are also accompanied by vasculitis.

Symptoms

• Different diseases linked with vasculitis have different symptoms, but these are universal: appetite loss, fever, exhaustion, weight loss, aching muscles, joint pain and weakened nerves.

Treatment

• Different types of vasculitis have different treatment. Some conditions can be treated with anti-inflammatory medicines (like Advil), while other may require corticosteroids (like Medrol) or cytotoxic drugs (like Imuran).