29th January 2024

Clinical features

The chief presentation in patients is severe allergic asthma attacks. This is often associated with allergic rhinitis, nasal polyps or sinusitis. These symptoms can present long before the onset of vasculitis, which may involve the skin, lungs, nerves, kidney and other organs. Approximately 30% of patients have pulmonary infiltrates with some developing pulmonary haemorrhage. Kidneys are frequently affected with pauci-immune glomerulonephritis with associated hypertension. Other complications include impaired mental status, mononeuritis multiplex (75%), pericarditis, congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, gastrointestinal bleed, ischaemia and perforation. Skin nodules and palpable purpura can present in around 50% of cases.