Allergic vasculitis

Alternative names:

vasculitis; vasculitis - allergic; vasculitis - hypersensitivity

Symptoms:

• skin lesions usually located on legs, buttocks, or trunk
• palpable (able to be felt with the fingers) purpura
  • multiple papules (small, solid, raised skin areas)
  • purpura (bleeding into the skin)

• blisters on the skin
• urticaria (hives), may last longer than 24 hours
• necrotic ulcers (open sores with dead tissue)

Signs and tests:

The diagnosis is primarily based on a history of skin lesions that develop after exposure to medications or a foreign substance (antigen) and the clinical presentation (pattern of symptoms).

• The ESR (sed rate) may be elevated.
• Skin biopsy shows vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels).

This disease may also alter the results of a platelet aggregation test.