The Churg Strauss Syndrome

The Churg Strauss Syndrome

During the first half of this century, several authors reported a variant of a small vessel vasculitis that appeared similar to the then recognized polyarteritis nodosa. The condition was distinguished by a significant atopic component, in the form of allergic rhinitis, bronchial asthma, and hypereosinophilia (1). Such patients frequently had a poor prognosis, with many patients dying as a resu...

Churg-Strauss syndrome.

Churg-strauss syndrome.

First described in 1951 as an allergic and granulomatous angiitis, Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) is a small-vessel vasculitis. Mean age at the time of diagnosis is approximately 50 years, with a sex ratio around 1. Asthma is the central feature of CSS and precedes the systemic manifestations in almost all cases, whereas 70% of the patients have maxillary sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and/or sinu...

Churg-Strauss Syndrome

Pulmonary: asthma, pneumonitis and haemoptysis. Upper respiratory tract: allergic rhinitis, paranasal sinusitis, nasal polyposis. Cardiac involvement is common. [6]This includes heart failure, myocarditis and myocardial infarction. [7] Skin: purpura, skin nodules, leukocytoclastic angiitis with palpable purpura, livedo reticularis, urticaria, necrotic bullae and digital ischaemia. Renal: glomer...

Churg-Strauss Syndrome

A 44 year old female nurse with a 20-year history of severe, steroid-dependent asthma, hypertension, hematuria, pleuritis, and sinusitis was referred from her ophthalmologist in January 2000, with the question of possible bilateral scleritis. The patient was treated with topical steroid (prednisolone acetate 6 times daily) for anterior uveitis, systemic prednisone (50mg per os) and steroid inha...