Chapter 13 Antiphospholipid Antibodies and Vasculitis

Abstract Besides the large group of primary vasculitis diseases, vasculitis in autoimmune diseases is most commonly associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, and dermatomyositis. The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), as a relatively recently recognized autoimmune disorder, may also present with a variety of vasculitis features. These non-typical vasculitis syndromes have to be considered very carefully in the APS, and vasculitis manifestations presenting as systemic involvement in APS patients have to be identified very early to prevent patients from rapidly developing organ damage. The aim of this review artic…