Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN)

Systemic necrotising vasculitis involving medium sized muscular arteries and associated with aneurysm formation.

The diagnosis is made on the basis of clinical assessment, diagnostic imaging procedures and/or biopsy of an appropriate site.

Creatinine, electrolytes to assess extent of disease; CRP or ESR to assess activity of disease. Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) contribute to the clinical assessment in the differentiation of PAN from ANCA-positive vasculitides (eg, microscopic polyangiitis, Wegener's granulomatosis, Churg-Strauss syndrome) which have involvement of a broader range of vessels.