- Individual Diseases
- What is Vasculitis?
- The Immune System
- Causes of Vasculitis
- Diagnosing Vasculitis
- Treating Vasculitis
- Effects of Vasculitis
- Types of Vasculitis by Size
- Diseases Affecting Small Blood Vessels
- Glossary of Drugs
- Glossary of Procedures
- Glossary of Blood Test Monitoring
- Frequently Asked Questions
Wegener's Granulomatosis - now renamed Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA)
Change of nomenclature
The name of this vasculitic disease was officially changed from Wegener's Granulomatosis (WG) to Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA) in 2011. Throughout this descriptive section it will be referred to as GPA.
What is Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis?
GPA is a type of primary systemic ANCA associated vasculitis (AAV). It is the most common type of this group of vasculitis diseases. It usually affects the kidneys, lungs, ears, nose and sinuses. GPA is characterised by inflammation of the small blood vessels including the capillaries.
Who are affected?
It is most common in middle aged and elderly people but can affect young adults and children. It affects men and women equally.
What is the aetiology (cause)?
The cause of GPA is not yet known. Some research suggests that GPA may be triggered by exposure to silica or to infection with staphylococcus aureus bacteria though this is not proven.
The ANCA antibodies found in most patients with GPA play a role in causing the inflammation of the blood vessels by activating some types of white blood cell. The ANCA antibodies attach to the neutrophils in the blood causing activation. This makes the neutrophil attach to the blood vessel wall and cause damage by release of the chemicals that it usually uses to fight infection. It is not understood why patients develop ANCA antibodies.
What are the symptoms?
The disease can present in very different ways in different people depending on the severity and the organs involved. It is not uncommon for patients to have had mild symptoms for months or even years before seeing a doctor at all.
Common general symptoms include tiredness, loss of appetite and aching muscles and joints.
It is very common for GPA to affect the ears, nose and sinuses causing blocked nose with some bleeding, crusts and blood clots. Deafness is also very common due to inflammation in the ears as is pain in face or headaches due to sinus inflammation. The eyes can also be involved
In some patients the kidneys can be severely affected which leads patients to go to a doctor with symptoms of kidney disease.
Other common symptoms include:
- Lungs - breathlessness, wheeze, dry cough or coughing up blood
- Skin - rashes, ulcers, and necrosis (death of tissue)
- Eyes - red (blood shot) eyes, painful, dry or gritty eyes, visual loss or other changes in vision
- Nerves - loss of sensation, weakness, unusual painful symptoms in the hands and feet (hotness, pins and needles or "electric shocks") and rarely paralysis or stroke
- Bowels - Diarrhoea, bleeding and abdominal pain.
As in other types of vasculitis there is no single test which confirms the diagnosis. The diagnosis will depend on the doctor recognising the pattern of symptoms and examination findings. Blood tests usually show evidence of inflammation. The blood tests for ANCA are usually positive which help support the diagnosis but are not specific for GPA or vasculitis. If the kidneys or lungs are affected then a biopsy may be helpful in confirming the diagnosis.
GPA often presents in a similar way to other diseases and can be difficult to diagnose. If the lungs are primarily affected it is not uncommon for the disease to be mistaken for lung cancer or TB.
Prednisolone (steroid) and cyclophosphamide are often used to get the disease under control in moderate or severe cases. In mild cases where the kidneys are normal milder treatment with prednisolone and methotrexate may be given. If the disease is very severe large doses of methylprednisolone or plasmapheresis (plasma exchange) may also be given. When the disease becomes quiet less toxic drugs are used to keep control which include: azathioprine, methotrexate and mycophenolate mofetil usually in combination with low dose prednisolone.
Rituximab has recently been shown to be effective in some cases of GPA instead of cyclophosphamide although it is not suitable for all patients.
For information on plasma exchange:
Drugs and Side effects
For information on the main drugs prescribed for Wegener's Granulomatosis (GPA) see:
For information on other drugs used in the treatment of vasculitis see Glossary of drugs and side effects.
The overall prognosis in GPA depends on the severity of the disease and the amount of damage that has been done to organs, especially the kidneys, when the disease was active.
Relapses can occur quite commonly in GPA and usually require a temporary increase in treatment. It is not clear how long patients with GPA should remain on treatment for and this should be discussed with the doctors looking after the patient on an individual basis.
- GPA is the most common type of this group of vasculitis diseases
- The disease may be present for months or years before a diagnosis is made
- Treatment depends on the severity of the disease
- The disease commonly relapses after the initial treatment.