Comprehensive Vasculitis Care

What is vasculitis?

Vasculitis is a general term for a group of immune system disorders that cause inflammation of the blood vessels. Inflamed blood vessel walls can thicken or weaken, disrupting blood flow to tissues and organs throughout the body. This can result in damage to these vital body parts. 

Vasculitis can affect any system in the body and the symptoms can range from mild to life-threatening. The many types of vasculitis are categorized by the size of the blood vessel affected. The disease can be either acute or chronic and it can affect one or several organs. Early and accurate diagnosis and treatment of vasculitis symptoms is critical to preventing long-term damage.

Our treatment approach.

The choice of where to seek care is crucial when dealing with rare diseases like vasculitis. At MUSC Health, we are proud to be a leading center for the treatment of rheumatologic conditions, including all types of vasculitis. Our team of expert rheumatologists offers exceptional and empathetic care, utilizing state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment tools to provide personalized care tailored to your unique needs. 

Given that this condition can impact various organ systems, we work closely with a range of specialists, including rheumatologists, dermatologists, nephrologists, neuromuscular specialists, ophthalmologists, and pulmonologists. This multidisciplinary approach ensures that our patients receive comprehensive care tailored to their specific needs. 

In addition to in-person visits, we offer Telemedicine (video visits) to help maintain your care for your convenience. These can be very helpful if you live a distance from our center, or when other issues make in-person visits challenging. 

Types of vasculitis we treat:

• Behcet disease
• Cryoglobulin-associated vasculitis
• Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (eGPA) (previously known as Churg-Strauss syndrome)
• Giant cell arteritis (also known as temporal arteritis)
• Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) (previously known as Wegener’s granulomatosis)
• Henoch-Schonlein purpura
• Kawasaki disease
• Microscopic polyangiitis
• Polyarteritis nodosa
• Takayasu arteritis

Clinical Trials 

At MUSC Health's Vasculitis Center, we offer cutting-edge clinical trials and research to discover new diagnostic and treatment opportunities for patients with vasculitis. Talk to your doctor to learn how you can participate in clinical trials or for more information on our current clinical trials, please visit SCresearch.org. 

Registry and Biobank 

To enhance treatment and care for vasculitis patients, we have an active registry and biobank (collection of blood and other clinical samples). The registry informs the medical community about how the disease affects patients and their response to treatment, while the biobank allows us to study various aspects of vasculitis and immune system responses. Participation in the registry and biobank is open to all patients and is completely voluntary.  

Contact Us

To learn more about services available at the MUSC Health Vasculitis Center or to schedule an appointment, please call 843-876-0615.

Refer a Patient

To schedule a referral, please call 843-876-0615.

Additional Resources

Vasculitis Foundation Vasculitis

Patient-Powered Research Network 

Rare Diseases Clinical Network