Otolaryngologic manifestations of small vessel vasculitis

Objective: The aim of the present study is to review the clinical manifestations associated with small vessel vasculitis (SVV) as they pertain to the head and neck region. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed, including 34 individuals that filled the American College of Rheumatology criteria for the diagnosis of necrotizing vasculitis. Seven patients were classified as suffering from Wegenerʹs granulomatosis (WG), 18 from microscopic polyangitis (MPA), and the remaining 19 were unclassified (unclassified small vessel vasculitis, USVV). Results: The percentage of ENT manifestations in the early clinical picture of WG patients was 86%, dropping to 44.5 and 22% for MPA and USVV patients, respectively. The overall percentage of ENT manifestations for SVV patients in their initial clinical profile was 47%. Conclusion: The results of our investigation highlight the importance of an ENT clinical examination as a guide for diagnosis of an important percentage of SVV patients.