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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffChurg-Strauss syndrome can affect many organs, including your lungs, skin, gastrointestinal system, kidneys, muscles, joints and heart. Without treatment, the disease may be fatal. Complications depend on the organs involved and may include:
- Peripheral nerve damage. Peripheral nerves extend throughout your body, connecting your organs, glands, muscles and skin with your spinal cord and brain. Churg-Strauss syndrome can damage peripheral nerves (peripheral neuropathy), especially those in your hands and feet, leading to numbness, burning and loss of function. In some people, this damage may be permanent.
- Skin scarring. The inflammation may cause sores to develop that can leave scars.
- Heart disease. Heart-related complications of Churg-Strauss syndrome include inflammation of the membrane surrounding your heart (pericarditis), inflammation of the muscular layer of your heart wall (myocarditis), heart attack and heart failure.
- Kidney (renal) damage. If Churg-Strauss syndrome affects your kidneys, you may develop glomerulonephritis, a type of kidney disease that hampers your kidneys' filtering ability, leading to a buildup of waste products in your bloodstream (uremia). Although kidney failure isn't common with this disease, it can be fatal when it occurs.
References
- Baldini C, et al. Clinical manifestations and treatment of Churg-Strauss syndrome. Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North America. 2010;36:527.
- Lee K, et al. Churg-Strauss syndrome. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2011: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00012-3--sc0165&isbn=978-0-323-05610-6&sid=1068342455&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00012-3--sc0165&uniqId=222493850-3#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00012-3--sc0165. Accessed Oct. 12, 2010.
- Sneller MC, et al. Churg-Strauss syndrome. In: Adkinson NF, et al. Middleton's Allergy: Principles and Practice. 7th ed. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05659-5..00054-1--cesec15&isbn=978-0-323-05659-5&sid=1068342455&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05659-5..00054-1--cesec15&uniqId=222493850-3#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05659-5..00054-1--cesec15. Accessed Oct. 12, 2010.
- King TE Jr. Clinical features and diagnosis of Churg-Strauss syndrome (allergic granulomatosis and angiitis). http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 12, 2010.
- King TE Jr. Epidemiology, pathogenesis, and pathology of Churg-Strauss syndrome (allergic granulomatosis and angiitis). http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 12, 2010.
- King TE Jr. Treatment and prognosis of Churg-Strauss syndrome (allergic granulomatosis and angiitis). http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 12, 2010.
- Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. American College of Rheumatology. http://www.rheumatology.org/practice/clinical/patients/diseases_and_conditions/gi-osteoporosis.asp. Accessed Oct. 12, 2010.
- Cannon GW. Immunosuppressing drugs including corticosteroids. In: Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/225194068-7/1078137300/1492/151.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2805-5..50038-0_1384. Accessed Nov. 2, 2010.
- Dietary supplement fact sheet: Vitamin D. National Institutes of Health. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp. Accessed Oct. 12, 2010.
- Rosenow E (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 19, 2010.
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