Table 1.
Clinical characteristics of 86 rheumatoid vasculitis cases seen at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN, USA) between 2000 and 2010
| Characteristic | n (%) or median (IQR) |
|---|---|
| Clinical presentation | |
| Cutaneous vasculitisa | 56 (65) |
| Vasculitic neuropathyb | 30 (35) |
| CNS vasculitis | 7 (8) |
| Mesenteric vasculitis | 2 (2) |
| Scleritis/episcleritis | 2 (2) |
| Pulmonary angiitis | 1 (1) |
| Necrotizing glomerulonephritis | 1 (1) |
| Demographic characteristics | |
| Age, years | 63 (51–71) |
| Sex, female | 50 (58) |
| Race, white | 76 (88) |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 26.4 (23.4–29.3) |
| Smoking status at RV diagnosis | |
| Current smokers | 25 (29) |
| Former smokers | 23 (26.7) |
| RA characteristics | |
| Duration of RA, years | 10.8 (2.7–21) |
| Smoking status at RA diagnosis | |
| Current smokers | 34 (40) |
| Former smokers | 13 (15.3) |
| Tender joint count (28 joints), mean (s.d.)c | 1.6 (4.1) |
| Swollen joint count (28 joints), mean (s.d.)c | 3.3 (5.4) |
| Rheumatoid nodules (skin only) | 38 (44) |
| Radiographic erosions | 46 (54) |
| Any joint replacement surgery (small, medium or large joints) | 30 (35) |
| ≥1 extra-articular manifestations | 25 (29) |
| Laboratory features | |
| Anaemia, haemoglobin < 12 g/dl | 43 (55) |
| Leucocytosis, >10.5 × 109 | 21/78 (27) |
| Thrombocytosis, >450 × 109] | 13/78 (17) |
| Elevated ESR | 50 (66) |
| Elevated CRP | 42 (69) |
| RF | 72 (84) |
| ACPA | 30/45 (67) |
| ANA positive | 24/82 (29) |
| ANCA positive | 29/75 (39) |
| pANCA | 28/75 (37) |
| MPO | 4/75 (5) |
| Hypocomplementaemiad | 10/71 (14) |
| Cryoglobulinaemia | 4/73 (6) |
| Treatment of RA prior to RV | |
| Corticosteroids | 59 (69) |
| MTX | 58 (69) |
| ≥3 DMARDs | 25 (29) |
| Any biologic | 34 (42) |
aCutaneous vasculitis included vasculitic purpura (with biopsy confirmation of leucocytoclastic vasculitis), upper or lower extremity ulcers (attributed to vasculitis, with other common aetiologies such as peripheral arterial disease or infection ruled out) and digital ischaemia/infarcts or gangrene. bVasculitic neuropathy included mononeuritis multiplex on EMG or pure motor/sensorimotor neuropathy on EMG study and confirmed on nerve biopsy. cBased on data available from 58 patients. dHypocomplementaemia was defined as low levels of serum total, C3 or C4 complements (normal total serum complement 30–75 U/ml, serum C3 75–175 mg/dl, serum C4 14–40 mg/dl). Only one patient had an isolated low C4 level.