Abdominal emergencies in systemic vasculitis

Abdominal lesions are characterized in a patient with acute vascular purpura and a patient with polyarteritis. The former patient developed obturation ileus of the small intestine, the latter--necrosis and multiple intestinal and gall bladder perforation with subsequent peritonitis. In both cases the abdominal syndrome was manifestation of the basic disease. Surgical treatment saved life of the patients. Stable remission was achieved after long-term medication.