Conclusion
Hepatitis B-associated PAN is now rare, given the recent advances in HBV vaccination and antiviral therapies. PAN is a systemic necrotizing vasculitis that primarily affects medium-size arteries. Clinical presentation includes constitutional symptoms, neurological manifestations such as mononeuritis multiplex, and cutaneous involvement. Diagnosis encompasses checking hepatitis B serologies, inflammatory markers, angiography and biopsy of an involved site. Treatment includes a brief course of corticosteroids along with plasma exchange and antiviral therapy.
Naveen Raj, DO, is a rheumatologist and clinical associate professor of medicine at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville, Tenn.
Lisa Duncan, MD, is an associate professor and chair of the pathology department at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville, Tenn.
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