Thu. Nov 7th, 2024

Vasculitis strikes with silent force,
Inflaming vessels, altering their course.
Arteries, veins, and capillaries swell,
Their walls thickened, as blood flow can't dwell.

In skin, in lungs, in joints and bone,
Its reach is wide, its harm well-known.
From organs deep to nerves that fail,
It weaves a damaging, painful tale.

Large vessels suffer a mighty strain,
Giant cell arteritis, with relentless pain.
Takayasu's grip, a narrowing way,
Choking the pulse of life's array.

Medium vessels, too, are caught,
Polyarteritis nodosa fought.
Kawasaki claims the young,
Inflammation leaves the heart unsung.

Small vessels twist in silent strife,
Granulomatosis with polyangiitis, rife.
Microscopic, but with power clear,
IgA vasculitis—pain is near.

Symptoms speak, though cause may hide,
Fatigue, rash, pain, a body denied.
An autoimmune storm, a mystery vast,
Infections, genes, or drugs from the past.

Tests will guide the path ahead,
Biopsy, scans, where hope is fed.
Corticosteroids, immune suppressive care,
Vasculitis fights, but we repair.

By SG