Publication: A Diagnosis Missed for Several Years- Wegener’s Granulomatosis
Date
2011
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kathmandu University
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Wegener’s granulomatosis is a form of systemic vasculitis of small to medium sized
vessels and affects upper respiratory tract, lungs and kidneys along with various
organs. It causes necrotizing granulomatous inflammation of the affected parts and
presents with positive antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in more severe forms.
Being a systemic disease with the potential to affect any organ-systems with a wide
range of clinical presentations, it is associated with a risk of delay in diagnosis with
resultant setback in institution of appropriate treatment. Confusion may arise
due to an extent of histological similarity between Wegener’s granulomatosis and
the more prevalent tuberculosis, both causing granulomatous inflammation of
the affected parts. Here, we present two cases of this rare disorder where the
diagnosis was missed for several years in the beginning causing a delay in institution
of specific therapy which led to the development of complications.
KEY WORDS
delayed diagnosis, multisystem disease, systemic vasculitis, Wegener’s
granulomatosis
Description
Paudyal BP,1 Pantha S,1 Ranjitkar N,1 Manandhar A,2 Arjyal A3
1Department of Medicine
3Department of Community Health Sciences Patan Academy of Health Sciences Patan Hospital, Lalitpur, Nepal
2Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology National Academy of Medical Sciences Kathmandu, Nepal