Histologic examination of a biopsy from the head and neck of a patient, together with knowledge of organ involvement, can be used to make the diagnosis of Wegener's granulomatosis.
Affected areas in the head and neck:
(1) nose
(2) sinuses
(3) oropharynx
(4) larynx
(5) ear
(6) eye
(7) salivary glands
Clinical organ involvement in addition to head and neck:
(1) lung
(2) kidneys
Histologic findings in biopsy from head and neck which are characteristic of Wegener's granulomatosis:
(1) granulomatous inflammation
(2) necrosis
(3) vasculitis
Histologic Findings |
Organ Involvement (in addition to head and neck) |
Diagnosis of Wegener's Granulomatosis |
all 3 histologic findings |
lung and/or kidneys |
diagnostic |
2 of 3 findings |
both lung and kidney |
diagnostic |
2 of 3 findings |
lung or kidney |
probable |
1 of 3 findings |
both lung and kidney |
suggestive |
1 of 3 findings |
lung or kidney |
suspicious |
0 of 3 findings |
lung and/or kidney |
nonspecific |
0 of 3 findings |
neither lung nor kidney |
unlikely |
after Mills (1994), page 854, and Colby (1991), Table 2, page 103
Specialty: Immunology/Rheumatology
ICD-10: ,