Epidemiology of primary systemic vasculitis in the Australian Capital Territory and south-eastern New South Wales

Authors: Ormerod; Cook

Source: Internal Medicine Journal, Volume 38, Number 11, November 2008 , pp. 816-823(8)

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Abstract:

Background:

The aim of the study was to determine the epidemiology of primary systemic vasculitis in the Australian Capital Territory and the surrounding rural region between 1995 and 2005. Methods:

Cases were ascertained by a medical record search according to international consensus classification criteria. For antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitides, ascertainment was corroborated by a search of all positive antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody serology during the study period. Denominators were obtained from region-specific census data collected during the study period. Prevalence, incidence and patient characteristics for primary systemic vasculitides were determined for two 5-year periods, 1995-1999 and 2000-2004. Results:

We identified 41 cases of primary systemic vasculitides (Wegener's granulomatosis (WG), microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), Churg-Strauss syndrome or polyarteritis nodosa) between 1995 and 1999 and 67 between 2000 and 2004, giving prevalences of 95/million (95% confidence interval (CI) 76.9-116.1) and 148/million (95%CI 125.1-173.9), respectively. Annual incidence was similar in both periods (approximately 17/year per million adult population). Disease-specific incidences (per million per year) for each of the two periods were 8.8 and 8.4 for WG, 2.3 and 5.0 for MPA, 2.3 and 2.2 for Churg-Strauss syndrome and 2.3 and 1.1 for polyarteritis nodosa. The rural incidence of MPA was 13.9 (95%CI 7.7-23.5) compared with 1.6 (95%CI 0.2-7.2) in the city and there was a trend towards a higher incidence of WG in rural than urban areas. Conclusion:

The overall incidence of primary systemic vasculitides is similar to that reported from other developed countries. WG is more common in south-eastern Australia than in southern Europe, whereas MPA is less common. There was a trend towards higher incidence of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitides in rural than urban areas.

Keywords: antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody; epidemiology; Wegener's granulomatosis; polyarteritis; systemic vasculitis

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1445-5994.2008.01672.x

Affiliations: 1: The Canberra Hospital

Publication date: 2008-11-01

Epidemiology of primary systemic vasculitis in the Australian Capital Territory and south-eastern New South Wales

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