Neurologic manifestations of vasculitides and collagen vascular diseases

Collagen vascular diseases and vasculitides are infrequent in neurological practice but important for the dif ferential diagnosis of both CNS and PNS syndromes. The combination of chronic headache, multiple strokes and enceph alopathy is the most frequent CNS manifestation of vasculitis. Peripheral n ervous system symptoms in rheumatic diseases include compression syndromes and mononeuritis multiplex in vasculitis. Besides MRI, angiography, CSF and serum findings, bioptic verification of the diagnosis is mandatory in thes e disorders.