Treatment of primary systemic vasculitis

The term primary systemic vasculitis encompasses a spectrum of disorders of unknown aetiology, in which there is inflammation of various types and sizes of blood vesselsl. Although there may be overlap between them, distinct clinico-pahtological syndromes can be recognized, depending in part on the size of vessel involved (table l)2*3. The small vessel vasculitides frequently affect glomerular capillaries, resulting in focal necrotising glomemlonephritis (FNGN), and we shall describe our experience of the management of these conditions.