eMedicine Specialties > Rheumatology > Vasculitis

Microscopic Polyangiitis: Follow-up

Author: Mehran Farid-Moayer, MD, Adjunct Clinical Faculty, Department of Psychiatry, Sleep Disorders Clinic, Stanford Medical Center
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Dec 6, 2006

Follow-up

Further Outpatient Care

  • Patients need to be monitored very closely at a rheumatology clinic.
    • Patients need to take immunosuppressive medications for a long time, at least for a year.
    • Clinical status and the ESR should be monitored.
    • The level of ANCA may be used to monitor the disease activity. However, ANCA levels do not correlate consistently with the disease activity. In one study, ANCA levels became undetectable in 83% of patients after treatment; however, ANCA levels increased in 57% of patients at a mean period of 7.8 weeks prior to relapse.

Complications

  • Complications of vasculitis depend on the particular organ system involvement (see Physical).
  • One of the most significant complications of treatment is bladder cancer. Among people who are treated with cyclophosphamide, 5% develop bladder cancer after 10 years and 16% develop bladder cancer after 15 years.

Prognosis

  • Remission: With treatment, 90% of patients improve and 75% achieve complete remission. The 5-year survival rate is approximately 75%.
  • Relapse: Of patients with microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), 30% relapse in 1-2 years.

Patient Education

  • Patients should be aware of the severity of the disease and the risk of recurrence.
  • Compliance with medications and follow-up visits is critical.
 


More on Microscopic Polyangiitis

Overview: Microscopic Polyangiitis
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Microscopic Polyangiitis
Treatment & Medication: Microscopic Polyangiitis
Follow-up: Microscopic Polyangiitis
Multimedia: Microscopic Polyangiitis
References
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References

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Further Reading

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Keywords

microscopic polyangiitis, MPA, small vessel vasculitis, microscopic polyarteritis nodosa, microscopic PAN, small vessel vasculitides, systemic vasculitis, Wegener granulomatosis, Wegener's granulomatosis, Churg-Strauss syndrome, polyarteritis nodosa

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Mehran Farid-Moayer, MD, Adjunct Clinical Faculty, Department of Psychiatry, Sleep Disorders Clinic, Stanford Medical Center
Mehran Farid-Moayer, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine, American Medical Association, and American Thoracic Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Bryan L Martin, DO, Assistant Chief, CoFellowship Director, Department of Allergy-Immunology, Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Walter Reed Army Medical Center; Assistant Professor, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Bryan L Martin, DO is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, American College of Physicians, American Medical Association, American Osteopathic Association, and Texas Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Elliot Goldberg, MD, Dean of the Western Pennsylvania Clinical Campus, Professor, Department of Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine
Elliot Goldberg, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Physicians, and American College of Rheumatology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Alex J Mechaber, MD, FACP, Assistant Dean for Medical Curriculum, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Alex J Mechaber, MD, FACP is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine, and Society of General Internal Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Vecihi Batuman, MD, FACP, FASN, Professor of Medicine, Section of Nephrology-Hypertension, Tulane University School of Medicine; Chief, Medicine Service, Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System
Vecihi Batuman, MD, FACP, FASN is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians, American Society of Hypertension, American Society of Nephrology, and International Society of Nephrology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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