Welcome to the Vanderbilt Vasculitis Center

The Vanderbilt Vasculitis Center is located at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and co-directed by specialists trained in vasculitis, Dr. Kevin Byram, MD and Dr. Jason Springer, MD, MS. Because of the complex nature of the diseases, we have a multidisciplinary team experienced in the management of systemic vasculitis. Our staff provides vasculitis education to the medical community including other physicians, nurse practitioners, and trainees. In addition, our physicians have organized and participated in patient-oriented regional vasculitis conferences.

Our mission is to:

  • Provide exceptional multidisciplinary care to patients with vasculitis
  • Provide educational programs to increase awareness of vasculitis
  • Advance high impact research in vasculitis

Kevin Byram, MD

Jason Springer, MD, MS

Research Overview

Primary systemic vasculitis can be broken up based on the size blood vessel that is primarily affected. Forms of large vessel vasculitis can affect the aorta, the major branches of the aorta, and the cranial arteries. Medium vessel vasculitis affects more distal arteries, such as the mesenteric arteritis. Small vessel vasculitis typically affects the microscopic blood vessels.

While this is a helpful framework to categorize systemic vasculitis, it’s not perfect, as the size arteries affected can overlap between diseases. Rarely, forms of systemic vasculitis can affect the veins, such as in Behcet’s disease.

Forms of primary systemic vasculitis

Large vessel vasculitis

  • Giant cell arteritis
  • Takayasu’s arteritis
  • Cogan’s syndrome

Medium vessel vasculitis

  • Polyarteritis nodosa
  • Kawasaki’s disease

Small vessel vasculitis

ANCA associated vasculitis

  • Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (formerly Wegener’s granulomatosis)
  • Microscopic polyangiitis
  • Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (formerly Churg Strauss)
  • Renal limited vasculitis

Immune complex mediate vasculitis

  • Cryoglobulinemic vasculitis
  • IgA Vasculitis (formerly Henoch Schonlein Purpura)
  • Urticarial vasculitis
  • Anti-GBM (Goodpasture) disease

Variable vessel vasculitis

  • Behcet’s disease