ABSTRACT
Vasculitis is inflammation of the vessel wall that is often accompanied by necrosis. It comprises a heterogeneous group and may be either focal or more commonly it is generalised with multisystem and/or multiorgan involvement. In fact it is a clinicopathological entity to the extent that several pathologic findings are common to different types of vasculitides. Thus morphologic findings need to be correlated with the clinical presentation and/ or laboratory data to reach a diagnosis. Gross examination reveals thickening of all layers of the vessel wall leading to narrowing/ obliteration of the lumen. The intimal surface is pale white, irregular and wrinkled. Though thickening and narrowing of the affected vessel is most commonly observed, diffuse dilative type of involvement of aorta with or without aneurysm formation has also been observed in Takayasu arteritis. At autopsy features of end stage disease are evident by varying degrees of fibrosis with only mild focal or no inflammation.
