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For dermatologists, vasculitis manifests most frequently as palpable purpura, often on the legs. The authors of a recent review focused on other vasculitis forms. Here are some pearls:
Giant cell arteritis often presents with headache, fever, jaw or tongue claudication, and scalp tenderness. Nodules, tenderness, and absent pulse over the temporal artery are common. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate, platelet count, and alkaline phosphate levels are high and the red cell count low. Immediate systemic corticosteroids can ward off the dreaded associated blindness.
Takayasu arteritis damages the aorta and its branches, causing headaches, dizziness, hypertension, bruits, asymmetric pulses, and asymmetric blood pressure — but seldom skin disease.
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