[The clinical picture of panateritis nodosa]

The clinical picture of the panarteritis nodosa is characterized by vague early symptoms, manifestations in various organs and a changing prognosis. In seven patients with histologically proven panarteritis nodosa the clinical course was followed up over a long period. The commonest early symptoms were fever of unknown origin and a considerable loss of weight. Three out of seven patients showed in the initial phase a hypertension, in two other patients the blood pressure rose as the disease progressed. Those patients, whose renal function was impaired when the diagnosis was established, had a poor prognosis in spite of immunosuppressive therapy and dialysis. The life expectancy of these patients was between two and 16 months (in average 6,4 months). On the other side the clinical course in two patients without renal failure was more favourable; they are alive eight months and 15 years respectively after the diagnosis was confirmed.