vasculitis, henoch schonlein purpura, sarcoidosis

Central nervous system (CNS) manifestations are not rare in pediatric rheumatic diseases. They may be a relatively common feature of the disease, as in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Behçet's disease. Direct CNS involvement of a systemic rheumatic disease, primary CNS vasculitis, indirect involvement secondary to hypertension, hypoxia and metabolic changes, and drug associated adverse events may all result in CNS involvement. We have reviewed the CNS manifestations of SLE, Behçet's disease, Henoch-Schönlein purpura, polyarteritis nodosa, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, juvenile ankylosing spondylitis, familial Mediterranean fever, scleroderma, sarcoidosis, Wegener's granulomatosis, Takayasu's arteritis, CINCA syndrome, Kawasaki disease, and primary CNS vasculitis; and adverse CNS effects of anti-rheumatic drugs in pediatric patients...

Inadequate understanding of the pathogenesis and etiology of vascular inflammation continues to hinder progress in the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric vasculitis. The greatest amount of work is being done in the most common vasculitides of childhood, including Kawasaki disease and Henoch-Schönlein purpura. Discussion of rarer types of vasculitis, on the other hand, such as antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-positive small vessel diseases, is largely restricted to case reports. Most aspects of the care of children with Wegener granulomatosis and microscopic polyangiitis are derived by extrapolating from data about adults...