ABSTRACT
The association between certain viral infections and the development of vascular inflammation involving different size vessels has been well documented in the medical literature over the last 30 years. Since the initial observations of polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in the early 70's (1,2), an increasing number of vasculitic syndromes developing during the course of an acute or chronic viral infection, have been reported (3-6). The expanding spectrum of viral association with certain vasculitic syndromes that were considered to be "idiopathic" is exemplified by the recent finding of the strong association between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and "essential" mixed cryoglobulinemia (EMC) (7).
