Polyarteritis Nodosa / Disease

Diseases & Conditions

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Polyarteritis Nodosa

Synonyms of Polyarteritis Nodosa

PAN
Periarteritis
Periarteritis nodosa
Polyarteritis
Polyarteritis nodosa

Disorder Subdivisions

General Discussion
Polyarteritis nodosa is a rare multi-system disorder characterized by widespread inflammation, weakening, and damage to small and medium-sized arteries. Blood vessels in any organ or organ system may be affected, including those supplying the kidneys, heart, intestine, nervous system, and/or skeletal muscles. Damage to affected arteries may result in abnormally increased blood pressure (hypertension), ballooning (aneurysm) of an arterial wall, the formation of blood clots (thrombosis), obstruction of blood supply to certain tissues, and/or tissue damage and loss (necrosis) in certain affected areas.

The disorder is more common among men, and is more likely to present during early middle age, between 40 and 50 years.

Although the exact cause of polyarteritis nodosa is not known, it is clear that an attack may be triggered by any of several drugs or vaccines or by a reaction to infections (either bacterial or viral) such as strep or staph infections or hepatitis B virus. Many researchers suspect that the disorder is due to disturbances of the body?s immune system. Confirming the diagnosis required either a biopsy showing small or medium sized arteries with alternating areas of stenosis (constriction or block) and dilation.

Organizations related to Polyarteritis Nodosa

American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, Inc.
22100 Gratiot Avenue
Eastpointe MI 48021
Phone #: 586-776-3900
800 #: 800-598-4668
e-mail: [email protected]
Home page: http://www.aarda.org/
AutoImmunity Community
None
None None None
Phone #: (91-9) -552-9057
800 #: N/A
e-mail: [email protected]
Home page: http://autoimmunitycommunity.org
Autoimmune Information Network, Inc
PO Box 4121
Brick NJ 08723
Phone #: 732-664-9259
800 #: N/A
e-mail: [email protected]
Home page: http://www.aininc.org
CNS Vasculitis Foundation
9930 Morningfield
San Antonio TX 78250-3743
Phone #: 210-523-8234
800 #: N/A
e-mail: [email protected]
Home page: http://www.cnsvf.org
European Society for Immunodeficiencies (ESID)
c/o Dr. Esther de Vries
Hertogenbosch None 5200 ME's
Phone #: +31- 73--6992965
800 #: N/A
e-mail: [email protected]
Home page: http://www.esid.org
Jack Miller Center for Peripheral Neuropathy
University of Chicago
Chicago IL 60637
Phone #: 773-702-5800
800 #: N/A
e-mail: [email protected]
Home page: http://millercenter.uchicago.edu
MUMS (Mothers United for Moral Support, Inc) National Parent-to-Parent Network
150 Custer Court
Green Bay WI 54301-1243
Phone #: 920-336-5333
800 #: 877-336-5333
e-mail: [email protected]
Home page: http://www.netnet.net/mums/
Madisons Foundation
PO Box 241956
Los Angeles CA 90024
Phone #: 310-264-0826
800 #: N/A
e-mail: geti[email protected]
Home page: http://www.madisonsfoundation.org
NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
6610 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda MD 20892-6612
Phone #: 301-496-5717
800 #: --
e-mail: N/A
Home page: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/
Vasculitis Foundation
P.O. Box 28660
Kansas City MO 64188
Phone #: 816-436-8211
800 #: 800-277-9474
e-mail: [email protected]
Home page: http://www.vasculitisfoundation.org

For a Complete Report

This is an abstract of a report from the National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc. ? (NORD). A copy of the complete report can be obtained for a small fee by visiting the NORD website. The complete report contains additional information including symptoms, causes, affected population, related disorders, standard and investigational treatments (if available), and references from medical literature. For a full-text version of this topic, see http://www.rarediseases.org/search/rdblist.html