Serum sickness vasculitis (Q84950)

An acute vasculitic illness typified by fever, arthralgia and urticarial vasculitis resulting from an immune complex-mediated (type III) immune reaction to foreign protein. Historically this was largely due to horse-serum derived antitoxins and antivenins. Although the reaction is rare today, both polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies prepared from horse, rabbit, or mouse serum (e.g. antithymocyte globulin, infliximab and rituximab) may cause serum sickness, as may bites and stings (e.g. by bees and wasps)