Churg-Strauss Syndrome: An Overview

By Jack Morgan


Churg-Strauss Syndrome is one form of a group of conditions known as vasculitis. Vasculitis diseases are conditions in which there is inflammation of the blood vessels. Churg-Strauss syndrome often occurs in patients who have a history of asthma or who often suffer from allergies. The blood vessels involved in this particular condition are small arteries and small veins. It is a highly variable condition, so therefore the course and the presentation of it widely varies from patient to patient.

Churg-Strauss Syndrome is a type of vasculitis that causes the blood vessels to become inflamed in the abdomen and the lungs as well as on the skin, it can also affect the nerve system. The actual cause of Churg-Strauss Syndrome has yet to be discovered, but in most cases it starts by affecting the immune system of asthma and bronchial sufferers. The cause has also been linked to several asthma medications known as leukotriene-modifiers although this has not been confirmed.

The syndrome consists of three main stages, Allergy, abnormally high numbers of eosinophils present in the blood & Vasculitis, but it must be noted that not all patients end up developing all of these three stages or progress from one to the next. As well, some patients are only affected mildly and get skin lesions whilst others can develop serious and sometimes life threatening diseases, such as heart disease.

Churg-Strauss syndrome is complex, and because the signs and symptoms are both numerous and often-times unassuming, notoriously difficult to diagnose in the first place. This is problematic for many reasons, not least because the earlier one is diagnosed and treatment is put in place the better, and the more manageable the condition will be. It is rare for two patients of the syndrome to experience the exact same set of symptoms, or indeed even similar symptoms at all. The list of symptoms and signs is numerous, and at times their correlations seem somewhat devoid of logic.

Those diagnosed with only a mild form of the illness, whereby the nervous system, the heart, and the kidneys, are not affected, may find that only a low dosage of drugs is required to prevent the disease from further development.

What remains key is early detection and treatment, and lifelong monitoring. Patients can see their illness fade into remission as a result of the medications, only to have it relapse. Maintenance and therapy are vital. Complications and side-effects that can arise from long-term use of corticosteroids and immunosuppressants are often addressed with the prescription of vitamin D, calcium and bisphosphonates. With proper, prudent and ongoing medical monitoring, patients of this disease now have good long-term survival rates and outcomes.

The treatment for Churg-Strauss syndrome includes: Immunosuppressive drugs, High dose Steroids, Cyclophospamide puls therapy. In addition to this, in many cases the disease can perhaps be put into a remission through drug therapy, but this disease is chronic and lifelong.




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