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MoonDragon's Health & Wellness
Wegener's Granulomatosis

BASIC INFORMATION

"For Informational Use Only"
For more detailed information contact your health care provider
about options that may be available for your specific situation.

DESCRIPTION

Wegener's granulomatosis is an autoimmune vascular disease that can affect both men and women; and although it is more common in persons in their middle age, it can affect persons of any age. The initial manifestations generally involve the upper and lower respiratory tract, with a chronic, progressive inflammation. The inflammation may form lumps or granulomas in the tissues or in the skin. It may progress into generalized inflammation of the blood vessels (vasculitis) and kidneys (glomerulonephritis). A limited form of the disease that does not involve the kidneys may occur.

The vasculitis is the result of an autoimmune reaction in the wall of small and medium-sized blood vessels. Chronic vasculitis causes a narrowing of the inside of the blood vessel and can result in obstruction of the flow of blood to the tissues. This situation may cause damage to the tissues (necrosis).

Autoimmune diseases occur when these reactions inexplicably take place against the body's own cells and tissue by producing self-reactive antibodies. In Wegener's granulomatosis, an autoantibody is directed toward components in the cytoplasm of certain white cells.





LINKS

  • Wegener's Granulomatosis Association
  • NIAID Fact Sheet: Wegener's Granulomatosis
  • Wegener's Granulomatosis Site
  • Wegener's Granulomatosis Info
  • Yahoo Health: Wegener's Granulomatosis




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