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Description

Kallenberg et al proposed a Disease Activity Index for patients with Wegener's granulomatosis. The authors are from The Netherlands.


Symptom groups:

(1) ENT

(2) Pulmonary

(3) Renal

(4) Central Nervous System and Eyes

(5) Cardiovascular

(6) Gastrointestinal

(7) Musculoskeletal

(8) Skin

(9) Miscellaneous

 

NOTE: The description of the index gives point assignments, but this is open to interpretation:

(1) No mention of a maximum value for a symptom group is given. I have assumed that it is the sum of the subgroupings.

(2) Any clustering of findings with only one value returned is not specified. The tables below reflect what I think makes sense if some clustering is assumed.

 

ENT Symptoms

Finding

Points

sinusitis and/or sanguinous nasal discharge

ulceration and/or proliferative mass on endoscopy and histologic pattern of granulomatous inflammation on biopsy

5

 

ulceration and/or proliferative mass on endoscopy and histologic pattern of necrotizing inflammation without granulomas  on biopsy

3

 

absent

0

ear

serous otitis and/or otorrhea

2

 

absent

0

buccal ulceration

present

1

 

absent

0

trachea

tracheal stenosis with severe dyspnea

8

 

tracheal stenosis without severe dyspnea

3

 

absent

0

 

ENT symptom subscore =

= (points for nasal or sinus findings) + (points for ear findings) + (points for buccal ulceration) + (points for trachea)

 

maximum subscore: 16

 

Pulmonary Symptoms

Finding

Points

respiratory change

pulmonary infiltrates on chest X-ray with impending respiratory insufficiency with or without hemoptysis

10

 

pulmonary infiltrates on chest X-ray

4

 

absent

0

 

pulmonary symptom subscore =

= (points for respiratory change)

 

maximum subscore: 10

 

Renal Symptoms

Finding

Points

creatinine clearance and red cells in urine sediment

decrease in creatinine clearance > 30% within a period of 3 months with erythrocyturia

10

 

decrease in creatinine clearance <= 30% within a period of 3 months with erythrocyturia

4

 

no change in creatinine clearance with > 15 erythrocytes per high power field in urinary sediment on more than 1 occasion

2

 

absent

0

cellular casts in urine sediment

present on more than 1 occasion

3

 

absent or present on 1 occasion

0

 

renal symptom subscore =

= (points for creatinine clearance and erythrocyturia) + (points for cellular casts)

 

maximum subscore: 13

 

Nervous System and Eye

Finding

Points

vasculitis

cerebral vasculitis

10

 

absent

0

mononeuritis multiplex

with paresis and sensory loss

8

 

without paresis

3

 

absent

0

cranial nerve palsy

present

8

 

absent

0

ocular change

corneal ulceration

2

 

episcleritis

2

 

necrotizing scleritis

8

 

absent

0

orbital pseudotumor

present

8

 

absent

0

recurrent dacrocystitis

present

1

 

absent

0

 

nervous system and eye subscore =

= (points for vasculitis) + (points for mononeuritis multiplex) + (points for cranial nerve palsy) + (points for ocular change) + (points for orbital pseudotumor) + (points for recurrent dacrocystitis)

 

maximum subscore: 43

 

Cardiovascular

Finding

Points

heart

myocardial infarction due to vasculitis

10

 

myocardial infarction negative or due to other cause

0

extremities

peripheral gangrene

10

 

absent

0

 

cardiovascular subscore =

= (points for heart) + (points for extremities)

 

maximum subscore: 20

 

Gastrointestinal

Finding

Points

GI change

acute abdomen with intestinal perforation due to vasculitis

10

 

massive hemorrhage due to vasculitis

10

 

neither

0

 

gastrointestinal subscore =

= (points for GI change)

 

maximum subscore: 10 (this could be 20 if assume separate)

 

Musculoskeletal

Finding

Points

joint findings

arthritis of 1 or more joints

3

 

arthralgia of 1 or more joints

2

 

neither

0

 

musculoskeletal subscore =

= (points for joint findings)

 

maximum subscore: 3

 

Skin

Finding

Points

skin

ulceration and/or purpura with histologically granulomatous inflammation and/or necrotizing vasculitis

3

 

ulceration

2

 

purpura

1

 

neither

0

 

skin subscore =

= (points for skin finding)

 

maximum subscore: 3

 

Miscellaneous

Finding

Points

biopsy histology

any manifestation with evidence of granulomatous inflammation and/or necrotizing vasculitis

3

 

no evidence of granulomatous inflammation and/or necrotizing vasculitis

0

fever of unknown origin for > 1 week

> 38.5°C rectally

3

 

> 38.0 – 38.5°C

1

 

none or <= 38.0°C rectally

0

C-reactive protein

> 100 mg/L increase

3

 

50.1 – 100 mg/L increase

2

 

20.1 – 50 mg/L increase

1

 

<= 20 mg/L increase

0

 

miscellaneous subscore =

= (points for biopsy) + (points for FUO) + (points for C-reactive protein increase)

 

maximum subscore: 9

 

disease activity index =

= SUM(points for each of the 9 subscores)

 

Interpretation:

• minimum disease activity index: 0

• maximum disease index (with above groupings): 127

• A single condition scoring 5 or more points requires treatment with intermediate doses of corticosteroids (30 mg/day prednisolone) and cyclosphosphamide (75 mg/day).

• A minor exacerbation is defined as (a) an increase in the total index >= 5 points within a 3 month period and (b) not meeting criteria for a major exacerbation, as described in the previous section.

• Other diseases causing the findings need to be excluded before inferring Wegener's disease activity.


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