Medical Department, Desio Hospital, Desio (Milan), Italy. caselgio@tiscali.it
The incidence of gastrointestinal involvement is relatively observed in patients with vasculitis processes. Vasculitis can be primary (necrotising or hypersensitivity) or secondary to another primary disease. Gastrointestinal involvement is present in up to 50% of the various forms of systemic vasculitis. Primary or secondary vasculitic process, according to the classification in necrotizing and hypersensitivity vasculitis, are described in this paper. A review of the literature on the the subject is also presented.