Among the vascular allergids, Reiter's vasculitis stands out especially. This allergic arteriolitis always has a latent period when the disease develops without external manifestations, although the pathological processes in the body are already quite intense. Most often, red spots on the legs, caused by small hemorrhages, nodules and papules, disturb young girls. Sometimes similar manifestations of Reiter's vasculitis occur on the hands, but rarely. The trouble with this disease is that when treated late, it often recurs, even if it seems that the therapy has been successful.
Manifestations of Reiter's vasculitis, features of the disease
Reiter's vasculitis is provoked by various inflammatory diseases, among which there can be not only colds, SARS, but also sinusitis, chronic tonsillitis, sinusitis, a also caries and other dental diseases that are not treated in a timely manner and become a source of infection for the whole organism. Vasculitis can develop in the presence of stagnation of blood in the extremities, which occurs with varicose veins or certain cardiovascular conditions. diseases.
At the first stages of the disease, when Reiter's vasculitis develops without distinct external signs, patients may complain of weakness, severe fatigue, general malaise, slight swelling and pain in the joints. The disease has a number of varieties, which can make it difficult to diagnose, last quite a long time – several months or even years.
Among the common manifestations that may suggest Reiter's vasculitis are specks of hemorrhage, blisters, & nbsp; nodules and even areas of dead skin, which at first are located randomly on the skin, but later you can notice some symmetry in their appearance. After healing of nodules and blisters, small scars remain on the skin. Vasculitis is characterized by an undulating course, when, it would seem, complete recovery is replaced by a new exacerbation of the disease.
The symptoms of Reiter's vasculitis depend on the variety and type of the disease:
- hemorrhagic– the patient may complain of abdominal pain and blood in the urine, red spots on the legs appear at the slightest irritation from socks, bandages, rubber bands, even pressure from tight-fitting shoes; in this case, one should assume the presence of hemorrhages in the internal organs – in particular, in the stomach, kidneys, intestines;
- papulo-necrotic– nodules develop on the skin, in which blood is concentrated with exfoliated skin cells;
- polymorphic-nodular– skin nodules often turn into pustules, deep ulcers, and after healing, small superficial defects remain on the skin;
- nodular hemorrhagic – on the skin can be seen at the same time and rounded nodules with a film of clotted blood on the surface, and red spots on the legs from small hemorrhages, some of the elements disappear quickly, while others remain on the skin for a long time.
What to consider when choosing a therapy for vasculitis Reiter
It is very important to determine what type of vasculitis the patient has, what is the severity of the disease and the depth of the pathological process, to understand the causes that provoked Reiter's vasculitis before starting treatment.
The first step in the treatment should be the relief of the underlying disease that led to the development of Reiter's vasculitis. In addition, exacerbations of such concomitant diseases as diabetes mellitus, varicose veins, and hypertension are subject to therapy. Then proceed to the treatment of vasculitis itself. Apply corticosteroids, anti-inflammatory drugs, in severe cases – cytostatics. A good effect is given by blood purification techniques (plasmapheresis). It is necessary to warn the patient that the treatment will be difficult and lengthy, that the abolition of the course of drugs, even if you feel well, will lead to a relapse of the disease, therefore, long-term maintenance therapy prescribed by the doctor is needed.
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