Angeítis cutáneas: inmunofluorescencia directa y morfopatología de 23 casos / Cutaneous angeitis: morphology and direct immunofluorescence in 23 patients

RESUMO

We reviewed the finging in 23 patients with hystologically diagnosed cutaneous angeitis, bet-ween 1981 and 1985. There were 8 males and 15 females, with a mean age fo 43 years. Four hystological patterns were identified: leukocytoclastic angeitis in 9 (31%), lymphocytici angeitis in 8 (35%), capillaritis in 2 (9%) and minimal alterative angeitis in 4 (17%). Serum complement levels were normal in 56% and low in the remainder. fourteen patients (61%) showed positive direct immunofluorescence for complement fractions and different immunoglobulins in skin lesions. All cases with lymphocytic angeitis yelded a positive reaction as compared to only 66% in leucocytoclastic angeitis. No correlation was found between serum complement levels and histologic pattern of angelitis. The present results suggest that direct immunofluorescence in diseased skin is a more sensitive procedure for identifying active cutaneous angeitis