Churg-Strauss Syndrome

Churg-Strauss Syndrome

    * Introduction
    * Diagnosis
    * Treatment
Churg-Strauss syndrome is a particular type of systemic vasculitis, which was first described in 1951 by doctors Jacob Churg and Lotte Strauss as a syndrome of asthma, eosinophilia (increased number of eosinophils in the blood), fever, and vasculitis in various organs. Churg-Strauss syndrome has many clinical and pathological features of poliarteritei Nodo, but it is distinguished by the presence of granulomas and excessive increase of eosinophils numatrului. Churg-Strauss syndrome, also known as allergic granulomatosis. The disease occurs in adult patients who have a history of asthma or allergy and inflammation shows small blood vessels (known as Angie) from the lungs, skin, nerves, and abdomen.
Etiology Not yet know the exact etiology of Churg-Strauss syndrome, but we know it involves an overreaction of the immune system in people with asthma. It was reported that Churg-Strauss syndrome associated with use of certain asthma drugs called leukotriene modifiers, but not known for sure if these drugs actually cause disease or patients who take them more serious forms of asthma shows that predispose them to the occurrence of this syndrome .
Clinical This asthma is one of the main features of Churg-Strauss syndrome. Asthma symptoms can occur many years before the onset of vasculitis or other typical symptoms of Churg-Strauss syndrome. Other early symptoms are nasal polyps and allergic rhinitis. The next stage of the disease is often marked eosinophilia (increased number of eosinophils in blood or tissues). Eosinophils are a subtype of leukocytes (white blood cells). Normally they are less than 5% of counts. In Churg-Strauss syndrome, their numbers can grow up to 60%. The third phase of the disease is a vasculitis that affects the skin, lungs, nerves, kidneys and other organs. Nerve damage can be very serious (menoneuritis multiplex), with paresthesia (tingling), numbness, sudden pain, loss of muscle strength in hands and feet. The list below shows the peers and the most common symptoms reported to the organ: Nas:
 - Sinusitis, allergic rhinitis;
 - Nasal polyps; Lungs:
 - Pulmonary infiltrates (affects only one third of patients);
 - Pulmonary bleeding (occasionally);
 - Diffuse interstitial pneumonitis (rare); Kidney:
 - Glomerulonephritis (inflammation of the small units that provide blood filtering); Hypertension; Gastroinstestinal:
 - Occasionally lesions may occur (vasculitis) gastrointestinal tract;
 - Sometimes the spleen is formed granulomas; Heart:
 - If the cardiac form, vasculitis can lead to congestive heart failure or myocardial infarction; nerves: Peripheral nerve damage causes pain, numbness or paresthesia (tingling) in extremities (mononeuritis multiplex);