What Is Vasculitis?

Vasculitis is a general term that refers to inflammation of bloodvessels. When blood vessels become inflamed, they may become weakened, stretch, and either increase in size or become narrow -- even to the point of closing entirely.

Vasculitis can affect people of all ages, but there are types of vasculitis that occur in certain age groups more often than others.

Some of the many forms of vasculitis may be restricted to particular organs. Examples include vasculitis that affects only the skin, eye, brain, or certain internal organs. There are also types of vasculitis that may affect many organ systems at the same time. Some of these generalized forms may be quite mild and may not require treatment. Others may be severe, affecting critical organs.