What are the chances that my newly diagnosed vasculitis will relapse?

The term “relapse” is used to indicate disease related inflammation that has the potential to cause organ injury and requires treatment. Determination of a relapse is based upon the finding of disease-related inflammation. The evidence for this comes from review of symptoms, physical examination, laboratory tests, and sometimes imaging studies. Relapses must be differentiated from damage, infection, medication side effects, or other problems that can cause similar symptoms or laboratory abnormalities. Relapse manifestations and frequency vary for each form of vasculitis and have been determined based on studies published in the medical literature.

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