Ocular cANCA-Positive Vasculitis: a Case Report

Background

cANCA-positive vasculitis, previously known as Wegener’s granulomatosis, is an idiopathic, potentially lethal, multisystemic granulomatous vasculitis involving small vessels. This condition was initially described in 1931, by a medical student, named Heintz Klinger [1]. In 1936, Frederick Wegener made the clear distinction between this affection and polyarteritis nodosa.

The presentation is often in the fifth decade of life and affects more commonly men than women. Ocular involvement includes uveitis, scleritis, peripheral ulcerative keratitis, retinal vasculitis, orbital pseudotumour, dacryocystitis, and nasolacrimal obstruction [2].

We report the case of a patient diagnosed with ANCA-positive vasculitis 34 months after the initial presentation.

• References

• 1 Harman LE, Margo CE. Reviews in medicine, Wegener’s granulomatosis. Surv Ophthalmol 1998; 42: 458-480
• 2 Fauci AS, Haynes BF, Katz P et al. Wegener’s granulomatosis: prospective clinical and therapeutic experience with 85 patients for 21 years. Ann Intern Med 1983; 98: 76-85
• 3 Pakrou N, Selva D, Leibovitch I. Wegener’s granulomatosis: ophthalmic manifestations and management. Semin Arthritis Rheum 2006; 35: 284-292
• 4 Van Der Woude FJ, Rasmussen N, Lobatto S et al. Autoantibodies against neutrophils and monocytes: tool for diagnosis and markers for disease activity in Wegener’s granulomatosis. Lancet 1985; I: 425-429