Vasculitis - Diagnosis - Diagnosis

Depending on the organs affected, your doctor may refer you to one or more of the following specialists:

• Cardiologist, a doctor who specializes in the heart
• Dermatologist, a doctor who specializes in skin
• Infectious disease specialist
• Nephrologist, a doctor who specializes in the kidneys
• Neurologist, a doctor who specializes in the brain and nervous system
• Ophthalmologist, a doctor who specializes in eyes
• Pulmonologist, a doctor who specializes in the lungs
• Rheumatologist, a doctor who specializes in joints, muscles, and autoimmune diseases
• Urologist, a doctor who specializes in the urinary tract and urogenital system

Learn more about the diagnostic tests and procedures your doctor may use to diagnose your vasculitis.

Diagnosis of vasculitis can be difficult. Some types of vasculitis cannot be diagnosed with a test. Instead, your doctor will diagnose you based on your symptoms or complications.

For other types of vasculitis, your doctor may order one or more of the following tests and procedures:

• biopsy to collect a small sample of your tissue from a specific blood vessel or an organ. A pathologist will study the sample for specific signs of inflammation and tissue damage.
• Blood tests to detect levels of certain blood cells and antibodies in your blood.
• Chest X-ray to find out whether vasculitis is affecting your lungs or your large arteries, such as the aorta or the arteries in the lungs.
• Computed tomography (CT) scan to look for signs of granulomatosis with polyangiitis.
• Echocardiography, an ultrasound test to learn how well the heart is working.
• Pathergy test to help diagnose Behçet’s disease. In this test, a needle pricks the skin, and sometimes a small amount of saline solution may be injected. The test is positive if a red bump or ulcer develops after two days.
• Coronary angiography to look at your blood vessels for damage, inflammation, blockages, or aneurysms.
• Positron electron tomography (PET) scan, a type of nuclear scan, to detect inflammation in the blood vessels.
• Ultrasound to look for signs of inflammation in your blood vessels or organs.
• Urinalysis to check for kidney damage.

To help diagnose vasculitis, your doctor may need to do tests to rule out other medical conditions that have symptoms and complications that resemble vasculitis, including:

• Cancer
• Infectious diseases
• Migraine