Catastrophic Cutaneous Polyarteritis Nodosa Exacerbated by Emotional Stress

Abstract

Fatima Bawany,1 Gayin Lee,2 Yasmine Nousari,3 Christopher Ritchlin,2 Partik Singh,4 Francisco Tausk2,4 1Department of Dermatology, New York University, New York, NY, USA; 2Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA; 3Mongan Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; 4Department of Dermatology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USACorrespondence: Francisco Tausk, Department of Dermatology, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Ave, Box 697, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA, Email [email protected]: We present the first case of a patient with indolent polyarteritis nodosa who suffered severe exacerbations following significant emotional stressors. This report highlights the close relationship between emotions and autoimmune diseases mediated by the deleterious effects of stressors presumptively by skewing immunity from Type 1 to Type 2.Keywords: psychology, autoimmunity, vasculitis, stressors

Keywords

• psychology
• autoimmunity
• vasculitis
• stressors