Laparoscopic Findings in Polyarteritis Nodosa

Summary

We describe the laparoscopic findings of 6 patients with histologically proven P.A.N. In 5 cases a fibrous thickening of the liver capsule was observed. The capsular thickening was present only along the course of the arteries, and with a segmental distribution, presented the appearance of an “arterial coat”. Biopsy of these segments demonstrated typical inflammatory infiltrates of P.A.N. None of the 248 laparoscopic examinations used as controls had such findings. In conclusion, these laparoscopic findings may represent the segmental arterial lesions of P.A.N., although further studies are necessary to establish its diagnostic sensitivity and specificity.

Key words:

Laparoscopy - Polyarteritis nodosa - “Arterial coat” - Capsular hematoma