Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

vascular dementia
A common form of dementia
in older persons that is due to cerebrovascular dis-
ease, usually with stepwise deterioration from a
series of small strokes and a patchy distribution of
neurologic deficits affecting some functions and not
others. Risk factors include high blood pressure
and advanced age. Symptoms include confusion,
problems with recent memory, wandering or getting
lost in familiar places, loss of bladder or bowel 
Valley fever
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control (incontinence), emotional problems such
as laughing or crying inappropriately, difficulty fol-
lowing instructions, and problems handling money.
The damage is typically so slight that the change is
noticeable only as a series of small steps. However,
over time, as more small blood vessels in the brain
are blocked, there is noticeable gradual mental
decline. Vascular dementia commonly begins
between the ages of 60 and 75 and affects men more
often than women. Also known as multi-infarct
dementia. See also 
dementia.
vascular endothelial growth factor
A gene
that is responsible for the growth of blood vessels.
Abbreviated VEG-F.
vascular headache
See 
headache, vascular.
vasculitis
A general term for a group of uncom-
mon diseases that feature inflammation of the blood
vessels. Each of the vasculitis diseases is defined by
characteristic distributions of blood vessel involve-
ment, patterns of organ involvement, and laboratory
test abnormalities. The actual causes of these vas-
culitis diseases are usually not known, but immune
system abnormality is a common feature. Examples
of vasculitis include Kawasaki disease, Behcet’s dis-
ease, polyarteritis nodosa, Wegener’s granulomato-
sis, Takayasu’s arteritis, Churg-Strauss syndrome,
giant cell arteritis (temporal arteritis), and Henoch-
Schonlein purpura. Vasculitis can also accompany
infections, such as hepatitis B; exposure to chemi-
cals, such as amphetamines and cocaine; cancers,
such as lymphomas and multiple myeloma; and
rheumatic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and
systemic lupus erythematosus. Laboratory testing in
a patient with active vasculitis generally indicates
inflammation in the body, and depending on the
degree of organ involvement, a variety of organ func-
tion tests can be abnormal. The ultimate diagnosis
for vasculitis is typically established after a biopsy of
involved tissue demonstrates the pattern of blood
vessel inflammation. Treatment depends on the type
and severity of the illness and the organs involved.
Treatments are generally directed toward stopping
the inflammation and suppressing the immune sys-
tem. Typically, cortisone-related medications, such
as prednisone, are used, as are other immune-
suppression drugs, such as cyclophosphamide
(brand name: Cytoxan). Also known as angiitis and
vasculitides (the plural form of vasculitis).