What is the cause of nodular vasculitis?
Nodular vasculitis is a type of panniculitis. The exact cause is unknown but the patchy inflammation in the blood vessels and lymphatics in the deep dermis and subcutaneous fat appears to relate to a slowed circulation. Factors contributing to this include: • Cold, fat legs • Venous disease • Hypertension (high blood pressure). Slowing of the flow in the deep vessels can also encourage deposition of bacteria from the blood stream, including tubercle bacilli, and in some patients nodular vasculitis is a sign of tuberculosis, when it may be called erythema induratum or Bazin disease.
