pathology

Last reviewed 01/2018

Muscular, medium-sized arteries are involved throughout the skin and most viscera.

There is inflammation of all layers of the vessel wall with fibrinoid necrosis and inflammatory cell infiltrates.

Tissue damage is due to ischaemia caused by:

  • acute thrombosis of the inflammed artery
  • arterial stenosis due to fibrosis

The vasculitis may be due to deposition of immune complexes in the vessel wall.