ABSTRACT
The term vasculitis applies to a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by damage to blood vessels with infiltration of the vessel wall by inflammatory infiltrate, which leads to occlusion of the blood vessel and subsequent tissue ischemia. The classification of vasculitis still remains mainly based on pathological aspects and on the size of affected blood vessels. Peripheral neuropathy is a common complication of vasculitis, especially of the polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) type, because the size of the blood vessels affected in this type of vasculitis corresponds to that of vasa nervorum. Since histological evidence is needed for the diagnosis of vasculitis, the search for vasculitis is the most common indication for nerve and muscle biopsy.
