Treatment Challenges, Uncertainty Abound with IgA Vasculitis

Treating kidney issues can be especially difficult, she said.

The number of extracapillary crescents and the severity score on renal biopsy are important because they can factor into whether to treat a patient before creatinine starts to rise, but it’s controversial because it involves a biopsy for every patient.

Then there’s this problem: Many patients do well despite these findings.

“So even though we’re still trying to find and identify predictive factors, they’re not good, because the majority of people will do well, so identifying the patient who won’t do well is the challenge.”

Thomas R. Collins is a freelance medical writer based in Florida.

Reference

1. Sais G, Vidaller A, Jucglá A, et al. Prognostic factors in leukocytoclastic vasculitis: A clinicopathologic study of 160 patients. Arch Dermatol. 1998 Mar;134(3):309–315.