Cerebral vasculitis is inflammation of blood vessel walls in the central nervous system (CNS; brain, spinal cord). It may be caused by autoimmune disease, infection, malignancy, or a systemic vascular disorder, or it may be idiopathic. Primary angiitis of the CNS refers to vasculitis that is limited to the CNS and leptomeninges. Secondary vasculitis involving the CNS can occur from systemic vasculitides. The small- and medium-sized arteries of the CNS are typically affected.

Clinical manifestations are variable but include severe headaches, transient ischemic attacks or strokes, cranial neuropathies, seizures, and encephalopathy. In primary angiitis of the CNS, systemic symptoms such as fever, myalgias, rash, or weight loss are usually absent.

More recently, cerebral vasculitis also has been reported in children, but its incidence is unknown due to both its rarity as well as the possibility of it having gone undiagnosed. The signs and symptoms are the same.