Wegener's granulomatosis, systemic vasculitis, and antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies.

Systemic vasculitis is often difficult to diagnose. The recent discovery of a new class of autoantibodies [antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCA)] provides clinicians with a serological test that strongly supports the diagnosis of the most common forms of systemic necrotizing vasculitis. The spectrum of patients with this form of vascular inflammation ranges from those with renal-limited glomerulonephritis to patients with multisystem disease, including Wegener's granulomatosis and polyarteritis nodosa.