Polyarteritis Nodosa Research Paper

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Polyarteritis Nodosa is a vasculitis disease that affect medium muscular arteries. Vasculitis is a disease that attacks the blood vessels that make arteries become inflamed. Polyarteritis Nodosa is a rare disease that affect adults, mainly middle ages males. The cause of the disease is unknown but has been related to hepatitis B or C. Organs that are mainly affect is the heart, kidneys and skin. Signs and symptoms are general such as fever, fatigue, loss of appetite and weight loss (Gota). Diagnosing polyarthritis nodosa is difficult, therefore knowing your family and your own medical history will help with diagnosing. Doctors will be able to test with blood work, CT, MRI scans and biopsy. (“Vasculitis Foundation-Polyarteritis Nodosa.”) Once diagnosed the treatment has to happen …show more content…

If polyarteritis nodosa is left untreated it can be fatal to the patient, but when treated after diagnosis the disease is manageable.

When diagnosed there is three different severities of the disease, mild and severe and patients with polyarteritis nodosa and hepatitis B or C. Each severity of the disease needs different treatment to manage the disease. Since there is no cure for Polyarteritis Nodosa the treatment only manages the disease and puts the patient in remission. Once the patient is in remission, the patient will be monitored for new symptoms and making sure polyarteritis nodosa stays in remission. When a patient is diagnosed with mild polyarteritis nodosa, Doctors will prescribed the patients with a medicine called prednisone (Polyarteritis Nodosa-Harvard). Prednisone is a steroid that reduces the inflammation in the arteries. When on prednisone patient will need to have blood work to monitor levels. (“Prednisone Uses, Dosage, side effects, warnings-Drugs.com”). When a patient has severe symptoms of polyarteritis nodosa involving heart, kidney

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