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How to diagnose polyarteritis Nodosa (part 3)


Bangladeshpost
Published : 19 Jan 2022 09:00 PM

PAN is a complicated disease that requires multiple tests before your doctor can make a proper diagnosis. Your doctor will likely order a complete blood count to measure the number of red and white blood cells you have.

•    a tissue biopsy, which involve taking a small sample of an affected artery for laboratory examination

•    an arteriogram, which is an X-ray of the arteries

•    an erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) test to measure inflammation

Most people with PAN have elevated ESR results. According to Johns Hopkins, skin and muscle or nerve biopsies can be helpful when making a diagnosis.

Once these tests are complete, your doctor will formulate a diagnosis and treatment plan.

In some cases, doctors may mistake abdominal pain and gastrointestinal side effects for inflammatory bowel disease. For this reason, it’s important to report any long-term gastrointestinal effects to your doctor right away.

Treatment:

•    corticosteroids

•    immune suppressants

•    antiviral medications

High doses of corticosteroids, or steroids, control the symptoms of PAN by reducing inflammation and replacing certain hormones in the body. Corticosteroids can cause a number of side effects, especially when they’re taken in the oral form.

Corticosteroids can help keep your immune system from attacking your arteries, but other types of immunosuppressive medications may be necessary. This is especially true if your PAN symptoms are severe.

Courtesy: Health Line