The epidemiology of Wegener's granulomatosis

Objective. To estimate the prevalence, annual mortality, and geographic distribution of Wegener's granulomatosis. Methods. Analysis of national vital statistics data and hospitalization data from a national survey and from all New York State inpatient facilities. Results. Between 1979 and 1988, 1,784 death certificates in the United States listed Wegener's granulomatosis as a cause of death. Nationally, an estimated 10,771 hospitalizations included Wegener's granulomatosis among the discharge diagnoses. In New York State, there were 978 hospitalizations among 571 individuals with Wegener's granulomatosis. Conclusion. The prevalence of Wegener's granulomatosis in the United States is approximately 3.0 per 100,000 persons. Clear differences in the geographic distribution of Wegener's granulomatosis are apparent when analyses consider rates of disease in individual counties. Contrary to previous reports, associations between disease exacerbations and season were not apparent.