ab1901

Hypersensitivity vasculitis in adults: A benign disease usually limited to skin

C. García-Porrúa¹, J. Llorca², C. González-Louzao¹, M.A. González-Gay¹

¹Division of Rheumatology, Hospital Xeral-Calde, Lugo, and the ²Division of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain.

ABSTRACT
Objectives
To examine the clinical spectrum of hypersensitivity vasculitis (HV) in an unselected population of adults and establish differences between patients with HV limited to the skin and those with systemic involvement.

Methods
Retrospective study of adult patients (>20 years) with biopsy-proven cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis diagnosed as having HV, who were seen at the single hospital serving a well defined population between 1984 and 1998. Patients were classified as having HV according to the criteria of Michel et al. (9). To examine outcome and relapses of the disease only those patients with a follow-up of at least 1 year were included in this study.

Results
64 patients with a mean follow-up of 4.9 ± 3.5 (range: 1.1 - 13.6) years were studied. Ten (15.6%) had visceral involvement (3 gastrointestinal and 7 renal manifestations) during the course of the disease. The remaining patients had a leukocytoclastic vasculitis limited to the skin. When the study was concluded persistent hematuria and proteinuria was only observed in 1 patient and none developed renal insufficiency. Patients with a history of drug treatment and elevated ESR had more systemic complications but the difference was not statistically significant. The outcome was excellent in both patients with HV limited to the skin and in those with systemic complications during the course of the disease.

Conclusions
In unselected adults HV is generally a benign disease confined exclusively to the skin. In those patients with systemic manifestations, visceral involvement is generally mild and transient.

Key words
Cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis, hypersensitivity vasculitis, adults, isolated cutaneous vasculitis, visceral involvement, outcome.

Please address correspondence and reprint requests to: Dr. Miguel A. González-Gay, Division of Rheumatology, Hospital Xeral-Calde, c/ Dr. Ochoa s/n, 27004 Lugo, Spain.
E-mail: miguelaggay@hotmail.com