I67.7: Cerebral arteritis, not elsewhere classified

The brain controls the body’s critical functions such as breathing, blood pressure and heartbeat. The brain is where thinking takes place, actions are planned and movements are coordinated. To carry out all these tasks, the brain needs enough oxygen. This oxygen gets into the brain through the blood vessels that are called arteries. When these blood vessels are inflamed, the brain’s oxygen supply can deteriorate. This results in the brain no longer being able to carry out its tasks properly.

Typical symptoms of an inflammation such as this include, for example, headaches and seizures. It may also be that you are no longer able to move parts of your body properly. You may also feel generally ill and fatigued. Your body temperature may rise.

The arteries in the brain can become inflamed due to pathogens or as a result of other disorders. One reason can be a rheumatic disorder. A rheumatic disease can affect the entire body. There may be inflammation in the bones, the connective tissue, and the joints. The symptoms can be more and less severe. It is thought that rheumatic diseases are caused by a person’s immune system producing antibodies against their own body. These antibodies attack the body’s own tissue. The tissue can get inflamed and damaged as a result.