Cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis: a study of twenty patients in north jordan

ABSTRACT

Cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis [CLV] commonly presents as palpable purpura and has distinctive histopathological findings. This report reviews the cases of CLV confirmed by skin biopsy in North Jordan, during a 4-year period. Patients attending the dermatology clinic of Princess Basma Teaching Hospital, in whom a diagnosis of CLV and been confirmed histologically, were included in this retrospective study. The patients were classified into groups according to the underlying precipitating cause of CLV and a clinico-pathological correlation between the groups was made. Our study found that twent patients [9 males and 11 females] with CLV were diagnosed during the period between 1994 and 1997. According to the possible etiology, the patients were divided into 5 groups drug induced, urticarial vasculitis, connective tissue diseases, Henoch-Schonlein purpura and idiopathic. Histologically no firm criteria could be found to differentiate between the groups. However, drug induced CLV and urticarial vasculitis showed prominent eosinophilia and urticarial vasculitis also showed prominent dermal edema, mast cell infiltration and minimal erythrocyte extravasation