*3.2.2 Vasculitis and collagen vascular diseases*

Granulomas may involve the vasculature in collagen vascular diseases, like lupus erythematosus systemic, or more usually in vasculitic diseases including systemic necrotizing vasculitis and giant cell arteritis. Systemic necrotizing vasculitis is a group of heterogeneous diseases characterized clinically by a greater presentation and histologically by the presence of fibrinoid necrosis more intense than that seen in in other forms of vasculitis. Panarteritis nodosa is a vasculitis that characteristically affects the arteries of medium and small sizes. Vasculitis associated with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies include granulomatosis accompanied by polyangiitis, microscopic polyarteritis, and granulomatous allergic angiitis.
