Treatment therapy
50% of patients respond to corticosteroid therapy alone in early phases
Methotrexate or Azathioprine are an alternative to corticosteroid immunosuppressants
There have been studies on Mycophenolate mofetil and anti-TNF therapies
In Takayasu’s arteritis it is vital to combine drug treatments often with low-dose aspirin or statin

Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN)
Symptoms
Systemic illness with fever
General feeling of discomfort or uneasiness with cause difficult to identify
Weight loss
Arthritis
Black discoloration of skin primarily on the extremities
Severe inadequate blood supply to the extremities
Ischemic stroke, hemorrhages and a progressive encephalopathy with or without seizures may occur

Diagnostic Criteria
Three or more of the following ten criteria are required:

More than 4 kg (8.8 lb) weight loss
Lace-like purplish discoloration of the skin (livedo reticularis)
Testicular pain
Pain in a muscle or group of muscles (myalgias)
Damage to peripheral nerves
Elevation of blood pressure by more than 90 mmHg
Creatinine serum levels greater than 1,5 mg/dl
Hepatitis B or C virus antibodies
An aneurysm or occlusion as shown in a pathologic arteriography
Histology findings typical of PAN

Treatment therapy
In PAN not associated with a hepatitis virus: prednisone and cyclophosphamide therapy.
It may imitate, and is in turn imitated by, a number of other diseases that affect the blood vessels of the brain diffusely such as fibromuscular dysplasia and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Diagnosis
Cerebral angiography and magnetic resonance imaging, family medical history, symptoms, a complete physical examination, and ultimately biopsy of the brain, are often required for the diagnosis. Also, many lab tests must be done for the diagnosis; tests may reveal anemia (a shortage of red blood cells), a high white blood cell count, a high platelet count, allergic reactions, immune complexes, antibodies (tools the body uses to fight off threats) and elevation of inflammatory markers. Another crucial part in the diagnosis of cerebral vasculitis is the use of imaging techniques. Techniques such as conventional digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are used to find and monitor cerebral involvement. Treatment
Treatment is first with many different high-dose steroids, namely glucocorticoids. Then, if symptoms do not improve additional immunosuppression such as cyclophosphamide are added to decrease the immune systems attack on the bodys own tissues. Cerebral vasculitis is a very rare condition that is difficult to diagnose, and as a result there are significant variations in the way it is diagnosed and treated. Specific Diseases
Giant cell arteritis (GCA)
(Also known as temporal arteritis)

Symptoms
Fever
general uneasiness
weight loss
inflammation of the muscles causing stiffness in the shoulders; neck; and/or upper arms
persisting headache
pain in the jaw or ear while eating
double vision
partial loss of vision or blind spots
(on rare occasions) stroke.