Churg-Strauss Syndrome or systemic vasculitis is a disease, which was first identified by Dr. Jacob Churg together with Dr. Lotte Strauss, in the year 1951. The key characteristic features of this syndrome are eosinophilia and asthma. When the amount of eosinophils, present within the blood it leads to eosinophilia, which causes fever and inflammation of various vital organs. The characteristic features of Churg-Strauss disease are quite similar to that of the pathological and clinical features of polyarteritis nodosa or PAN, which is another form of vasculitis. Both Strauss and Churg found out that the existence of granulomas in addition to the large quantity of eosinophils set this disease apart from PAN. Churg-Strauss Syndrome is commonly known as Allergic granulomatosis.
Churg-Strauss Syndrome mostly affects middle-aged people, irrespective of gender classification. This disease is more prevalent among people, who have a newly worsened or new-onset asthma.
The most important feature of Churg-Strauss Syndrome is Asthma. Asthma signs and symptoms might start prior to the commencement of vasculitis. Other preliminary symptoms include allergic rhinitis and nasal polyps.
The second stage of the Churg-Strauss disease is frequently denoted by eosinophilia or the sudden increase of eosinophils inside the tissues or blood vessels. Eosinophil is a kind of white blood cell. The standard count of eosinophils in blood is more or less 5% of the total count of white blood cells. A person, who is suffering from Churg-Strauss Syndrome, will normally have a high percentage of eosinophils, which might be almost 60%.
The last stage of the ailment is the inflammation of blood vessels or vasculitis. This particular condition is extremely severe and it affects the kidneys, skin, nerves, lungs as well as other important organs. Vasculitis also leads to nerve related problems, such as severe tingling sensation, shooting pains, numbness in the legs and arms.
However, the actual cause of Churg-Strauss disease is still unknown though many believe that it is perhaps multi-factorial. Inheritance might play a trivial role in triggering the disease; however there are rarely any families that have a second member suffering from Churg-Strauss syndrome. Environmental aspects like contact with industrial solvents might be considered as one of the causes, though it is mostly speculative.
Though Asthma is regarded as the most prevalent cause of Churg-Strauss disease, but not all individuals suffering from asthma suffer from vasculitis. In actual reality only a small number of asthma patients suffer form this illness. Doctors mostly carry out a thorough physical examination, chest X-rays, blood tests, tissue biopsies as well as nerve conduction tests to diagnose Churg-Strauss syndrome.
