Headaches and vasculitis.

Vasculitis is a spectrum of clinicopathologic disorders defined by inflammation of systemic and central nervous system (CNS)arteries and veins of differing caliber with variable tissue injury. At the onset of systemic vasculitis, headache can occur in association with constitutional symptoms without imminent danger to the individual. In the advanced stages of systemic vasculitis and in selected other vasculitic disorders, headache should arouse suspicion of CNS involvement and therefore warrant prompt evaluation and treatment to forestall progression and prevent cerebral ischemia and infarction.