Vasculitis. Arteritis de grandes arterias. Enfermedad de Behçet. Enfermedad de Kawasaki

Giant-cell arteritis and Takayasu's arteritis are medium- and large-vessel vasculitis. Their etiopathogenesis remains unknown. Both present a systemic clinical pattern with: deterioration of the general condition, increase in inflammatory acute-phase reactants and symptomatology result from locoregional changes in the affected vessels. Recent studies have reported increased expression of IL-6 and TNF-α. There is some evidence that biologic agents, especially TNF-α inhibitors (anti-TNF or tocilizumab), might be efficacious in patients with medium- and large-vessel vasculitis. Behçet and Kawasaki disease are vasculitis of the arteries and veins of any size. Behçet's disease is usually a multisystemic venulitis. In patients with poor prognosis, treatment with anti-TNF biological agents have proven to be effective. The major sequelae of Kawasaki disease are coronary artery aneurysms, early treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin and aspirin prevents their development.