Abstract
Vasculitides represent a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by the inflammation of the vessel wall. Based on predominant size and type of the affected vessels they are divided in vasculitides of small, medium-sized and large vessels.
According to the revised nomenclature of vasculitides from 2012 the small vessel vasculitides are further divided into ANCA-associated vasculitides and immune complex vasculitides. The new nomenclature brought a change of some rooted names (for example Churg-Strauss syndrome was replaced by eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis) and it adjusted definitions of individual diseases.
However, these are neither diagnostic nor classification criteria of vasculitides. As it is demonstrated on an example of ANCA-associated vasculitides neither for scientific work nor for a common clinical practice even the new nomenclature is unambiguous and the classification is expected to be further adjusted with new findings.