Page 27 - The Vasculitides, Volume 1: General Considerations and Systemic Vasculitis

In: The Vasculitides, Volume 1 ISBN: 978-1-63463-110-5
Editors: David S. Younger © 2015 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

Chapter 1

History and Background of Vasculitis

Eric L. Matteson, M.D., M.P.H.?

Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Division of
Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo

Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, US

Abstract

The descriptions of previous poorly understood and obscure diseases by early
workers, and their insights and discoveries that followed have formed many of the
foundations of modern medicine. The original descriptions of inflammatory vascular
diseases in particular shaped the cultural context of medical science and provided the
catalysts and inspirations that fueled later clinical investigation. The transition from the
so called romantic era to the scientific era of medicine in turn mirrored advances in the
pathogenesis, treatment and classification of the vasculitides. The stories of the early
contributions from Hippocrates to Kussmaul will forever guide clinicians in the
fundamental humanity of this discipline.

Keywords: History, Background, Vasculitis

Introduction

The study of the history of vasculitis provides insights into the evolution of clinical
thinking and the pathophysiologic that guided the evolution of concepts integral to the
modern appreciation of this fascinating group of diseases. Forms of idiopathic vasculitis were
identified as early as the nineteenth century, moreover accounts of idiopathic vasculitis in the
form of what is presently termed Behçet disease can be found in the writings of Hippocrates

? Corresponding author: Eric L. Matteson, M.D., M.P.H. Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine,
Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine,
Rochester, MN 55905. E-mail: [email protected].

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