Which statement best describes non-infectious vasculitis?

• A. It is often immune mediated
• B. It is always infectious
• C. It is never immune mediated
• D. It is only due to trauma

Answer: (A)

Non-infectious vasculitis is inflammation of blood vessel walls driven by immune processes rather than pathogens. This means the injury to vessels typically comes from immune complexes, autoantibodies such as ANCA, or T-cell–mediated responses, rather than infection. Therefore, describing non-infectious vasculitis as often immune mediated matches the typical mechanism across many conditions, including IgA vasculitis, cryoglobulinemic vasculitis, and ANCA-associated vasculitides. It’s not infectious by definition, and trauma isn’t the primary driver in these diseases. Some infections can trigger vasculitis, but that doesn’t make the condition infectious vasculitis; the underlying mechanism remains immune-mediated.