Churg Strauss Syndrome

I was jsut wondering if anyone has come across this before. I know it is a rare autoimmune disease but wondering how common it is in severe asthma as I have been reading one of the symptoms of it can be severe asthma and previous symptoms can be a lot of allergies etc.

after a very quite spell with asthma it has gone pete tong again and heard someone talking about this and wondered how common it was. I do not think I have it but am curious to know more about it as had never really hear about it.

cheers

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Apparently there are 3.1 cases per million. So rare, but allergic asthma is one of the phases of it.

The first symptoms of CSS are those of a flu-like illness. Generalised aches and pains, fever, cough and a loss of appetite may be accompanied or followed by continued malaise and weight loss.

Subsequent symptoms depend on the phase of the illness and the organs involved. For example, pain may be felt in a particular area of the body or organ. Numbness and tingling of the hands and feet may occur and worsen so that much feeling and function is lost. This is known as peripheral neuropathy.

Sometimes people with CSS experience visual problems and severe abdominal pain.

There's no single test for CSS, so to make a diagnosis someone has to have at least four of the following six criteria:

•Asthma

•Abnormally high levels of eosinophils in the blood

•Neuropathy

•Pulmonary (lung) infiltrates

•Paranasal sinus abnormality

•Eosinophils outside the circulation on biopsy

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What source did you use for this information Bizkid ?

i'd be interested to read the article you copied it from.

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It's a form of vasculitis - inflammation of the blood vessels.

I've had Churg Strauss mentioned to me twice over the 5-6 years I've had asthma.

The first time was not long after my asthma was first diagnosed and on blood tests my eosinophil levels were consistently high. I do remember the consultant saying it was very rare though, and I basically had loads of tests to rule out this and that because of the way my asthma came on (completely out of nowhere and was brittle/severe from the start).

The second time was earlier this month, I think it was that I just had an enthusiastic new doctor who heard me say I'd been having joint pain and feeling flu-y. I didn't hear back from those blood test so I think it's safe to assume I don't have Churg Struss Syndrome!!

It is very rare, when I was working I had a few patients who were suspected of having it. They didn't, and I've never come across anyone in either my work or personal/asthma life who have it.

Bizkid is right, there is no actual test to diagnose Churg Strauss Syndrome, however there are certain blood test results which would point towards someone having it. Increased serum CRP, increased serum ESR, a positive serum anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA), and increased eosinophil levels. Increased eosinophils > 10% white blood cell count is present in almost all patients with Churg Strauss Syndrome.

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bbc.co.uk/health/physical_h...

and

cssassociation.org/

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I have Churg Strauss Syndrome, roughly 1 in every 200 thousand people have it who have some form of severe allergic disease. I was diagnosed 18 months ago, and finished the chemo that they treat you with in the first place 4 months ago. I sought advice when after 3 years of struggling with pain and problems walking, became also problems using arms and hands because of neuropathy. I would advise not to take much notice on much of the online information available as it can be very negative and frightening. When I first read up about it on line, if I was to believe it my survival rate was pretty low, but since much of this stuff was written, the treatment of the condition has improved considerably, and the majority of Churg Strauss sufferers will have there condition well managed though the disease still remains incurable at this time.

[johnbuckle1973]

Hi my son who is 21 has been diagnosed with churg strauss. How are you doing now? Thanks