AGA is an
angiitis syndrome that has some characteristic features, for example preceding
asthma and
polyneuritis. And histological findings are
granulomatous angiitis or extravascular
granuloma. We report two typical cases of AGA. Case 1; 51-year-old woman had been suffering from asthmatic
dyspnea for one year and developed in 1987 multiple
neuritis in her extremities.
Eosinophilia and high level of
IgE were noted. Pathologic diagnosis of the biopsied right calf muscle specimen was
granulomatous angiitis. Case 2; 40-year-old woman had been suffering from asthmatic
dyspnea for two years. She complained of severe
cough and
myalgia in 1986 and her chest X-ray showed homogeneous shadows in right upper and left lower fields. And her blood showed
eosinophilia and high level of
IgE. The histology of the biopsied subcutaneous nodules of hands showed extravascular
granuloma. These two cases had specific features of AGA. About symptoms of
angiitis, case 1 showed multiple
neuritis and case 2 had subcutaneous nodules of hands. About laboratory data, case 1 showed WBC count of 9400/mm3 with 85% eosinophils and high level of
IgE at 1400 IU/ml, case 2 had WBC count of 13200/mm3 with 22% eosinophils and
IgE at 846 IU/ml. The vary of eosinophil count and
IgE level were related to the degree and course of illness. These symptoms and laboratory data, except
neuritis, improved by an administration of
prednisolone. In early stage of AGA,
prednisolone is effective, so the criteria of AGA and usage of
corticosteroids must be considered.