Granulomatosis with
Polyangiitis (GPA)
Wegener’s Granulomatosis
Granulomatosis with
Polyangiitis (GPA)
Wegener’s Granulomatosis
©
Copyright
William Herring, MD, FACR
Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis
General
Male:female ratio of 2:1
Peak in 40s
Autoimmune disease characterized by
necrotizing granulomas and angiitis
Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis
General
Diagnosis is made by lung or kidney
biopsy
Death comes from renal failure or
respiratory failure
Treated with steroids and cytotoxic
drugs
Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis
Upper respiratory tract
100% involved
Mucosal thickening in paranasal sinuses
Bone and cartilage destruction
Chronic Left Maxillary Sinusitis
Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis
Lungs
Multiple nodules of varying sizes
Mostly at bases
Cavitate frequently (50%)
Masses wax and wane
Pleural effusion (25%)
Alveolar infiltrate occasionally
Masses in GPA Cavitate in 4 Months
4 months later
Multiple Cavitating Masses in GPA
GPA and Other Organs
Urinary tract:
focal glomerulonephritis (50%)
Joints:
migratory polyarthropathy
(56%)
Skin:
inflammatory skin lesions (44%)
Eyes and ears:
proptosis and otitis media (29%)
Heart and pericardium:
myocardial infarction (28%)
CNS:
neuritis (22%)
Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis
Symptoms
Rhinorrhea
Sinusitis
Epistaxis
Cough with hemoptysis
Midline Lethal Granuloma
Variant of GPA consisting of mutilating
granulomatosis and neoplastic lesions
limited to nose and paranasal sinuses
The End