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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffBesides affecting your upper and lower respiratory tracts, Wegener's granulomatosis may affect other organs, including your skin, eyes, ears, kidneys, spinal cord and heart. Complications may include:
- Hearing loss. Inflammation of granulated tissue in the middle ear can lead to hearing loss.
- Skin scarring. Sores may develop and may lead to severe scarring.
- Heart attack. Wegener's granulomatosis can affect the arteries of your heart, resulting in chest pain or a heart attack, though this is rare.
- Kidney (renal) damage. As Wegener's granulomatosis progresses, it's likely to affect your kidneys. It can lead to glomerulonephritis, a type of kidney disease that hampers your kidneys' ability to remove waste and excess fluid from your body, leading to a buildup of waste products in your bloodstream (uremia). Kidney failure is a leading cause of death from Wegener's granulomatosis.
References
- Longo DL, et al. Harrison's Online. 18th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=4. Accessed Oct. 12, 2012.
- Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's). American College of Rheumatology. http://www.rheumatology.org/practice/clinical/patients/diseases_and_conditions/wegeners.asp. Accessed Oct. 12, 2012.
- Holle JU, et al. Clinical manifestations and treatment of Wegener's granulomatosis. Rheumatologic Disease Clinics of North America. 2010;36:507.
- Papadakis MA, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2013. 52nd ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2013. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=1. Accessed Oct. 12, 2012.
- Falk RJ, et al. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of Wegener's granulomatosis and microscopic polyangiitis. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Sept. 21, 2012.
- FDA approves Rituxan to treat two rare disorders. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm251946.htm. Accessed Aug. 22, 2012.
- Langford CA. Update on the treatment of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's). Current Treatment Options in Cardiovascular Medicine. 2012;14:164.
- Turnball J, et al. Adverse effects of therapy for ANCA-associated vasculitis. Best Practice and Research Clinical Rheumatology. 2009;23:391.
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