Differnece between P Anca Vasculitis and Wegners?

[drz]

I think they need the granulomas in a biopt, to confirm GPA/Wegener's diagose.
My doc said that if he could have 'all of me' he surely would be able to show the presence of granulomas.
Where that would be, he couldn't say.

My kidney biopsy confirmed the disease. They said it was full of Wegener's but I assumed they meant evidence of vasculitis that was causing bleeding since there was blood in my urine.

[chrisTIn@]

My kidney biopsy confirmed the disease. They said it was full of Wegener's but I assumed they meant evidence of vasculitis that was causing bleeding since there was blood in my urine.

Well, vasculitis or granulomas, I think if you have Wegener's, you in general have both.
I mean, it's 'ANCA-positive vasculitis' or Wegener's Granulomatosis.
If you have Wegener's (GPA, sorry Sangye), your small and medium sized vessels are infected,
and as a result of the infection, you develope granulomas, that is to say, the tissue of your vessels becomes 'granulomatose'. At least, that is what I understood from all the talking, the reading and the thinking...

The vessels degenerate, and may even 'fall apart', what is the case when you really have organ- damage, or when you develope the well-known 'saddle-nose', because of degenerating, granulomatosing (falling apart into little pieces) tissue.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is, in general, the process that we all more or less, suffer from...

[Mitch]

It DOES truly SUCK!!!!! Ok, that was my scream for the night!!! Happy for all of you who can compose yourselves better than I. Danell (Mitch's wife)

[Trudy]

P-ANCA = Microscopic polyangiitis (MPA)-- affects small blood vessels; vasculitis without granulomas

C-ANCA = Wegener's/ Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA)--affects small and medium blood vessels; granulomas + vasculitis

They are treated the same.

I find this very confusing. My blood tests say ANCA- MPO and ANCA- PR3, both are usually positve. I do have a lung nodule, brain MRI shows sinus involvement, stage 3 kidney disease, and some other problems. I have not had any biopsies. My doctor just says vasculitis - can you have both types? Do you happen to know how high the ANCA factors(scores?) can get?

[Stephanie78]

Rtx is Rituxan or Rituximab. It is a biological drug that targets b cells and is big gun like ctx to get Wegs into remission.

Ctx is Cytoxan or Cyclophosphamide. It is chemo. It is the other big gun to get Wegs into remission.

Ok Phil, you and I had this conversation before concerning RTX (Facebook I believe). But here is where it is confusing to me...When John had BOTH RTX treatments (They called it Rituximab) on the IV bag it said "CHEMO". So I made reference to the infusion Dr who had come in to hook him up and they stated that it is a form of a chemo???

Not sure what to make of that!

[pberggren1]

Ok Phil, you and I had this conversation before concerning RTX (Facebook I believe). But here is where it is confusing to me...When John had BOTH RTX treatments (They called it Rituximab) on the IV bag it said "CHEMO". So I made reference to the infusion Dr who had come in to hook him up and they stated that it is a form of a chemo???

Not sure what to make of that!

I am quite certain that rtx is not a classed as a chemo drug. I have asked my doc that a few times.

[Psyborg]

Technically it is an monoclonal antibody. But it is considered a chemotherapy treatment I believe as well.

[Sangye]

Rtx is not a chemotherapy drug, but since it's used to treat Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma they might store it with other chemo drugs. When a nurse administers chemo, s/he has to take many precautions-- wear certain gloves, throw away the IV bag in special waste, etc.... None of that is necessary with rtx.

[vdub]

I have one of those darned granulomas.... I still have parts of it floating around near the now-dead pituitary....


Yeap, that's me!

[Brooke]

When I had my infusions, my Rituxan bag said "Chemo" on it as well. The nurses wore 2 pair of gloves and a cover up over their scrubs.. I also had MRSA on my record at the time so that could be why they used extra pre-caution.