Some types of vasculitis which mainly affect older patients are not described on this page. There are other forms of vasculitis where it is not clear into which category they fit, but these are very rare in children and will be recognised by specialised children’s doctors. Some types of vasculitis affect mainly the skin and others can affect internal organs with more serious complications.
When a small blood vessel becomes inflamed, it can break and bleed into the surrounding tissue, causing small red or purple dots on the skin. There are arteries (which carry blood away from the heart), veins (which carry blood to the heart) and capillaries (tiny blood vessels) through which the blood travels to all tissues and organs. This page from Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) explains about vasculitis, what causes it and how it can be treated.īlood is carried around the body in tubes or vessels these are different in size and have different names. Vasculitis is a word used to describe various diseases causing inflammation of the blood vessels. PLEASE NOTE in the light of the current coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, we have created an FAQ with COVID-19 information for children, young people and families at GOSH. Staying safe at GOSH and outside the hospitalĬoming to GOSH for a day or inpatient admissionĬoming to GOSH for an outpatient appointment