Abstract
OBJECTIVE: In antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV), relapses constitute a challenge despite initial good control. Our objective was to investigate whether patients with relapses shared the same initial organ involvement. METHODS: One hundred sixty patients with AAV in our center were investigated. Of these 160, 38 experienced relapse during followup. Clinical and laboratory data were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 38 patients, there was a total of 55 relapse events, 39 (70.9%) of which had the same initial organ as in the initial onset. CONCLUSION: Relapses in AAV were likely to begin with the same organ as in the initial onset; this facilitates early recognition of relapses.