Description

Criteria for the diagnosis of essential cryoglobulinemic vasculitis were proposed at an International Consensus Conference held at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.


 

Lesion: vasculitis affecting small blood vessels

Vessel

Involvement

venules

yes

capillaries

yes

arterioles

yes

small arteries

possibly

medium-sized arteries

no

large arteries

no

 

Features:

(1) cryoglobulin deposits in the vascular lesions

(2) cryoglobulin in the serum

(3) glomerulonephritis

(4) skin involvement

 

Differential diagnosis:

(1) Henoch Schonlein purpura - IgA immune deposits

(2) microscopic polyangiitis - no or rare immune deposits

(3) serum sickness - immune complex deposits

(4) SLE - positive ANA

 


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