Vasculitides are a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by inflammatory destruction of blood vessels including arteries, veins, capillaries and lymph ducts. The causes of many vasculitides are poorly understood with immune derangement accounting for most of the pathogenetic mechanisms. The classification and pathogenesis of various vasculitides are reviewed elsewhere in this symposium. Uniquely, some disease entities are characterized by vascular inflammation as their main pathological features. These include Kawasaki disease, Behcet's disease, polyarteritis nodosa, Wegener's granulomatosis, mixed cryoglobulinemia, Takayasu's arteritis, Churg-Strauss syndrome, giant cell arteritis and Henoch-Schonlein purpura. On the other hand, there are many conditions that have vasculitis as an accompanying or atypical symptom. These secondary vasculitides occur in rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, cancers, infections, or toxic chemical exposure such as amphetamines, cocaine, and anthrax vaccines. Several examples of primary as well as secondary vasculitides will be demonstrated in this mini-review.