Wegener’s granulomatosis

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Adenocarcinoma - chest X-ray

Respiratory system

Wegener's granulomatosis on the leg

Midline granulomatosis

Frequent sinusitis is the most common symptom. Other early symptoms include persistent fever without an obvious cause, night sweats, fatigue, and  malaise (an ill feeling).

Chronic ear infections may also come before the diagnosis of Wegener's granulomatosis. Other upper respiratory symptoms include nose bleeds, pain, and sores around the opening of the nose.

Loss of appetite and weight loss are common. Skin lesions typically occur, but there is no one typical lesion associated with the disease.

Symptoms of kidney disease may be present (but not always). The urine may be bloody, and often first appears as red or smoky urine.

Eye problems develop in a significant number of patients. They may range from mild conjunctivitis to severe swelling of the eye.

Other symptoms include:

• Weakness
• Cough, or coughing up blood
• Bloody sputum
• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing
• Chest pain
• Rashes
• Joint pains

• Biopsy of abnormal tissue:
  • Open lung biopsy
  • Upper airway biopsy
  • Nasal mucosal biopsy
  • Bronchoscopy with transtracheal biopsy
  • Kidney biopsy
• Urinalysis to look for signs of kidney disease such as protein and blood in the urine.  The presence of kidney disease is necessary to make a definitive diagnosis of Wegener's granulomatosis.
• Chest x-ray  
• Bone marrow aspiration
• Blood tests to look for antibodies that the body makes against its own tissue.

Review Date: 08/10/2005
Reviewed By: David A. Kaufman, M.D., Assistant Professor, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.