GASTROINTESTINAL VASCULITIS AND VASCULITIS ASSOCIATED WITH GASTROINTESTINAL-DISEASES

Vasculitis and the gut may be linked in two different sets of circumst ances. In one, which is more common, the gut is merely one of the seve ral organ-systems affected by systemic vasculitis and vasculitis assoc iated with rheumatic connective tissue diseases or inflammatory bowel disease (secondary vasculitis). In the other, which is more uncommon, the vasculitis is isolated to the gastrointestinal tract (primary vasc ulitis). In either category, intestinal ischemia with hemorrhage, perf oration, or gangrene may be the catastrophic complications that, even with timely surgical intervention, could still carry a high mortality rate. Familiarity with the histopathologic spectrum of primary and sec ondary gastrointestinal vasculitis is a prerequisite for correct inter pretation of biopsy and surgical resection specimens that will determi ne the appropriate choice of treatment. (C) 1998 by Elsevier Science I nc.