M31.3: Wegener granulomatosis

You have a disorder that involves inflammation in certain blood vessels.

Blood vessels transport the blood from the heart to the different tissues and organs in the body, and back again. In so doing, they provide the tissue and organs with oxygen and nutrients, and remove waste substances. The precise cause of the blood vessel inflammation is not known. With this disorder the immune system might produce antibodies that target the blood vessels. The immune system protects the body from pathogens and foreign substances. The immune system can also destroy cells in the body that have pathologically changed. If the immune system attacks the body’s own blood vessels, those blood vessels can become inflamed.

Blood vessels in different parts of the body can be affected. The blood vessels in the lungs and kidneys, for example, can become inflamed. This can then damage the lungs and kidneys. There are normally 2 kidneys in the body. They filter blood and create urine. They thus help to detoxify the body. Furthermore, the kidneys regulate the blood pressure and salt content in the blood, among other things. You need lungs to breath. When we breathe in, oxygen enters the lungs and accumulates in the blood. This blood then flows to the heart. The heart then pumps the oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. All of the organs are supplied with oxygen as a result.

The nasal mucous membrane or the air ways may also suffer long-term inflammation. This disorder can make people feel fatigued and unwell.

Additional indicator

On medical documents, the ICD code is often appended by letters that indicate the diagnostic certainty or the affected side of the body.

  • G: Confirmed diagnosis
  • V: Tentative diagnosis
  • Z: Condition after
  • A: Excluded diagnosis
  • L: Left
  • R: Right
  • B: Both sides

Further information

Note

This information is not intended for self-diagnosis and does not replace professional medical advice from a doctor. If you find an ICD code on a personal medical document, please also note the additional indicator used for diagnostic confidence.
Your doctor will assist you with any health-related questions and explain the ICD diagnosis code to you in a direct consultation if necessary.

Source

Provided by the non-profit organization “Was hab’ ich?” gemeinnützige GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG).