Cutaneous vasculitis: insights into pathogenesis and histopathological features.

The mechanisms underlying the onset and progression of vasculitis remain poorly understood. This condition is characterized by damage to the vascular wall, recruitment of inflammatory cells, and subsequent structural remodeling, which are hallmarks of vasculitis. The histopathological classification of vasculitis relies on the size of the affected vessel and the predominant type of inflammatory cell involved - neutrophils in acute cases, lymphocytes in chronic conditions, and histiocytes in granulomatous forms. Pathological changes progress in every context, and a single vasculitic pattern can be associated with various systemic conditions. Conversely, a single causative agent may lead to multiple distinct clinical and pathological manifestations of vasculitis. Moreover, many cases of vasculitis have no identifiable cause. A foundational understanding of the normal structure of the cutaneous vascular network is crucial. Similarly, identifying the cellular and molecular participants and their roles in forming the "dermal microvascular unit" is propedeutical.This review aims to elucidate the complex mechanisms involved in the initiation and progression of vasculitis, offering a comprehensive overview of its histopathological classification, underlying causes, and the significant role of the cutaneous vascular network and cellular dynamics. By integrating the latest insights from studies on NETosis and the implications of lymphocytic infiltration in autoimmune diseases, we seek to bridge gaps in current knowledge and highlight areas for future research. Our discussion extends to the clinical implications of vasculitis, emphasizing the importance of identifying etiological agents and understanding the diverse histopathological manifestations to improve diagnostic accuracy and treatment outcomes.

Cutaneous Collagenous Vasculopathy: A Short Case Series and Literature Review.

ABSTRACT: Cutaneous collagenous vasculopathy (CCV) is a rare and idiopathic microangiopathy of superficial dermal blood vessels. There have been 75 cases described in the literature to date, not including the current report; however, given its clinical similarity to other primary telangiectasias, it is likely to be underreported and underdiagnosed. Here, we describe the clinical and histological features of 2 patients we newly diagnosed with CCV. Both generally fit the profile of prior cases and confirm previously described associations-they both are older White women, have rashes on their lower extremities, and have conditions and medications that are common among other reported cases. However, both are also somewhat atypical, as Patient 1 had symptomatic CCV and Patient 2 had a papular rash. As such, both cases broaden the spectrum of our current understanding of CCV. We also provide a comprehensive review of all published reports of CCV to date and uncover 2 previously unreported associations: one with visceral malignancy, and the other with hypothyroidism. Whether these association are coincidental is worth investigating in future studies.

Clinical study on single-organ cutaneous small vessels vasculitis: a retrospective observational study.

OBJECTIVE: Single-organ cutaneous small-vessel vasculitis (SoCSVV) is an inflammatory skin-limited vascular disease affecting the dermal and/or hypodermal vessel wall. Pathogenetically, idiopathic forms are described, as well as the induction from different triggers, such as infections, drugs, and vaccines. Following the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic outbreak, cases of cutaneous vasculitis induced by both COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccinations have been reported in literature. The aim of this study is to provide the most recent evidence on new etiological factors, clinical features, and management of the SoCSVV. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We included 42 patients (22 women, 20 men) with SoCSVV and no systemic involvement in the study. The mean age of the patients was 57.3 years. Palpable purpura was the most frequent clinical manifestation (38 cases-90.4%). All patients were diagnosed with leukocytoclastic vasculitis by skin biopsy. RESULTS: The etiological factors were as follows: idiopathic in 9 (21%) patients, drug-related in 19 (45%) patients, COVID-19 infection-related in 5 (12%) patients, post-COVID-19 vaccination in 5 (12%) patients, paraneoplastic in 2 (5%) patients, and drug and infection and sepsis in 1 patient each. Among the drug-related cases, 16 (84%) were antibiotic-related, and most of them were beta-lactam antibiotics. Eosinophilia was present in skin biopsy in the cases related to vaccination and drugs, while intense necrosis and vascular damage in the skin were observed in the cases related to COVID-19 infection, unlike the others. A rapid resolution was observed with the cessation of drugs and short-term steroid treatment for the precipitating factors. CONCLUSIONS: SoCSVV is usually associated with drugs, preceding infections, and vaccines. COVID-19 infection and COVID-19 vaccinations have been reported as new etiological factors. SoCSVV indicates that the disease seems to be a mild, self-limiting illness with a good clinical result.

[Wounds caused by vasculitis-Current classification, diagnostics and treatment]. / Wunden durch Vaskulitiden ­ aktuelle Klassifikation, Diagnostik und Therapie.

Wounds of the skin can have very different causes. Especially in clinically atypical or non-healing wounds, the very heterogeneous group of vasculitides is of particularly important differential diagnostic significance. Nowadays, the classification of vasculitis is based on the affected vessels according to the Chapel Hill consensus conference. Thus, potentially any part of the vascular system can be affected. It becomes clear that there is often a risk of systemic diseases with high interdisciplinary relevance.Clinically, the usually very painful wounds in cutaneous vasculitis develop from necrosis and are typically surrounded by an erythematous-livid rim in the florid phase. In addition to clinical inspection, the histopathological examination of biopsies is of particular importance in the usually extensive diagnostic work-up.Therapeutically, adequate wound treatment should always be performed with a focus on pain prevention and infection prophylaxis. In the case of edema, compression therapy also supports wound healing. In addition, it is often necessary to initiate systemic treatment with immunosuppressive or immunomodulating drugs. Whenever possible, causally relevant factors and comorbidities should be diagnosed early and avoided or treated. Otherwise, there is a risk of severe or even fatal disease progression.

Cutaneous collagenous vasculopathy in a pediatric patient.

We report the case of a 13-year-old female who presented with punctate, erythematous macules coalescing into patches on the upper extremities and left thigh. A skin biopsy demonstrated dilated capillary-sized blood vessels in the papillary dermis consistent with a diagnosis of cutaneous collagenous vasculopathy (CCV). To our knowledge, this is the youngest patient to present with CCV and will represent the third pediatric case in the literature.

Platelet count and plateletcrit: Potential haematological biomarkers for livedoid vasculopathy?

BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of livedoid vasculopathy (LV) remains unknown. Although platelet activation occurs in LV, little research has been conducted on LV platelet morphology parameters. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether platelet morphology changes in LV and its clinical significance. METHODS: Twenty-seven LV patients and 21 cutaneous small vessel vasculitis (CSVV) patients, all at the active stage, were included. Platelet parameters in active- and stable-stage LV and CSVV patients were compared. Correlations between these platelet parameters and LV composite clinical scores were analysed. RESULTS: LV patients' mean age was 25.48 years (range: 9-62 years), and 81.48% (22/27) were women and 18.52% (5/27) were men. The platelet counts and plateletcrit (PCT) levels were significantly elevated in LV patients compared with CSVV patients and in active-stage LV patients compared with stable-stage LV patients after treatment. LV patient composite clinical scores that reflected disease severity and activity were positively correlated with the platelet count and PCT levels. CONCLUSION: Altered platelet morphology was detected in LV patients. Platelet count and PCT might be haematological biomarkers for early prediction of LV activity and relapses and for differential identification between LV and CSVV.

Cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis secondary to COVID-19 infection leading to extensive skin necrosis.

A wide range of extrapulmonary manifestations in patients with COVID-19 has been reported during the ongoing pandemic, thus making the clinical spectrum of this new disease very heterogeneous. While COVID-19-associated vasculitis and vasculopathy have been described, cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis (cLcV) due to SARS-CoV-2 has rarely been reported, and if it has, with relatively mild courses. We present the case of a 93-year-old man who, after having survived classic COVID-19 infection, developed a fulminant cLcV leading to extensive skin necrosis and tissue damage that resulted in his death. Considering the negative workup for other triggers of vasculitis, we find that cLcV is a secondary manifestation of COVID-19, even though SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction in the skin biopsy was not present in the tissue. We hypothesize this by providing a pathophysiologic rationale (eg, SARS-CoV-2-induced endotheliitis, complement activation, and interleukin 6 dominant intra- and perivascular inflammation).

A case of cutaneous collagenous vasculopathy associated with multiple myeloma and with a pathogenic variant of the glucocerebrosidase gene.

Cutaneous collagenous vasculopathy (CCV) is an extremely rare acquired microangiopathy of unknown etiology. The authors describe a case of a 68-year-old man, a carrier of a heterozygous pathogenic variant of the glucocerebrosidase (GBA) gene, who was diagnosed with CCV, revealing uncommon fibrinogen positivity in direct immunofluorescence. The patient was subsequently diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Treatment of the myeloma with combined chemotherapy including bortezomib, followed by autologous stem cell transplantation, led to significant reduction of cutaneous lesions. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first published case of CCV in a carrier of a pathogenic variant of the GBA gene, associated with multiple myeloma and with significant regression of CCV after myeloma treatment. Direct immunofluorescence examination revealed an unusual fibrinogen deposition. Hypothetical causative role of bortezomib treatment was proposed regarding significant regression of CCV.

Cutaneous collagenous vasculopathy: A report of three cases.

Cutaneous collagenous vasculopathy is a rare pauci-inflammatory, superficial, cutaneous vasculopathy characterized by progressive fine-branching telangiectasias clinically, while light microscopically one observes dilated venules and capillaries within the superficial dermis exhibiting excessive Type IV collagen within the vessel wall. We present three cases of collagenous vasculopathy. Two cases were associated with certain autoimmune stigmata, including a positive serologic anti-endothelial cell antibody assay and positive lupus anticoagulant in one, while the third case had positive anti-ribonucleoprotein (RNP) antibodies. The latter case was associated with chronic hydroxyurea therapy for an underlying myeloproliferative disorder. We explore the role of immune- and non-immune-based endothelial cell injury in the pathogenesis of collagenous vasculopathy.

KRIT1-positive hyperkeratotic cutaneous capillary venous malformation.

Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCM) may present in sporadic or familial forms, with different cutaneous manifestations including deep blue nodules, capillary malformations, and hyperkeratotic cutaneous capillary venous malformations (HCCVM). We report the case of an infant with a KRIT1-positive HCCVM associated with familial CCM. Moreover, histopathology showed positive immunohistochemical stain with GLUT1, further expanding the differential diagnosis of GLUT1-positive vascular anomalies.

Cutaneous foreign body microemboli-induced occlusive vasculopathy: A complication of illicit intravenous injection of oral opioid tablets.

Occlusive nonvasculitic vasculopathy is a process characterized clinically by retiform purpura and potential ulceration and necrosis of affected areas, secondary to blockage of small vessels without associated inflammatory vasculitis. Intravascular injection of foreign material is known to cause distal ischemia and necrosis due to thrombosis, local vasoconstriction, or microemboli formation. A 27-year-old male presented with retiform purpura and worsening distal fingertip necrosis of the right upper extremity accompanied by suspicious intravascular polarizable foreign material identified on skin, muscle, and vascular biopsies. We report a case that highlights concerning complications and dermatopathologic findings of intravascular injection of oral opioid tablets.

Development of sacral/buttock retiform purpura as an ominous presenting sign of COVID-19 and clinical and histopathologic evolution during severe disease course.

Retiform purpura has been described as a relatively frequent cutaneous finding in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The etiology is hypothesized to be related to thrombotic vasculopathy based on lesional biopsy specimen findings, but the pathogenesis of the vasculopathy is not completely understood. Here, we present a case of a retiform purpuric patch on the sacrum/buttocks in a hospitalized patient prior to subsequent diagnosis of COVID-19 and an eventual fatal disease course. Two lesional biopsy specimens at different time points in the disease course revealed thrombotic vasculopathy, despite therapeutic anticoagulation. Detailed histopathologic evaluation using immunohistochemical markers suggest the etiology of the vasculopathy involves both persistent complement activation and platelet aggregation, which possibly promote ongoing thrombus formation. This case highlights that sacral/buttock retiform purpuric patches may be a presenting sign of infection with SARS-CoV-2 virus and may represent an ominous sign supporting a future severe disease course. In addition, biopsy specimen findings at separate time points demonstrate that cutaneous vasculopathy may persist despite adequate systemic anticoagulation, possibly due to the combination of persistent complement and platelet activation. Finally, occlusive thrombi in sacral/buttock retiform purpuric patches may contribute to future ulceration and significant cutaneous morbidity in patients who survive COVID-19.

Leucocytoclastic vasculitis due to acute bacterial endocarditis resolves with antibiotics.

Infective endocarditis is associated with a variety of clinical signs, but its association with multisystem vasculitis is rarely reported. A high index of suspicion is necessary to differentiate a primary autoimmune vasculitis from an infectious cause as the wrong treatment can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. We present a 71-year-old female patient with negative blood cultures, on antibiotics for recent bacteraemia, who presented with cutaneous and renal leucocytoclastic vasculitis. Workup revealed a vegetation adjacent to her right atrial pacemaker lead consistent with infective endocarditis and her vasculitis completely resolved with appropriate antibiotics.

Three cases of Sneddon syndrome: A comparison with lymphocytic thrombophilic arteritis.

Lymphocytic thrombophilic arteritis and Sneddon syndrome can have very similar clinical presentations with chronic persistent widespread blanchable livedo racemosa. Lymphocytic thrombophilic arteritis has only recently been described and generally is associated with a benign prognosis. Sneddon syndrome is associated with the development of multiple cerebrovascular accidents and progressive neurological impairment. We present three cases of Sneddon syndrome and compare them with lymphocytic thrombophilic arteritis to identify patients at risk of neurological events.

A detailed analysis of the distribution, morphology, and histopathology of complex purpura in hospitalized patients: A case series of 68 patients.

BACKGROUND: Purpura in inpatients commonly leads to dermatologic consultation. The differential diagnosis is broad and algorithms are intricate. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated inpatient consultations for complex purpura to document the most common diagnoses and to validate the true diagnostic utility of histopathology, clinical morphology, and distribution. METHODS: We reviewed a case series of 68 inpatients during a 4-year period with a dermatologic consultation for purpura and biopsy findings of vasculitis or microvascular occlusion. RESULTS: Key features of complex purpura are nonbranching (round) versus branching (retiform) morphology, dependent versus acral or generalized distribution, and leukocytoclastic vasculitis versus microvascular occlusion (with emphasis on depth of involvement). Dependent nonbranching purpura with only superficial vessels involved by leukocytoclastic vasculitis was most often due to IgA vasculitis or cutaneous single-organ small-vessel vasculitis. In contrast, deeper involvement by leukocytoclastic vasculitis was suggestive of systemic disease (eg, antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis). Branching purpura was concerning, with greater than 90% sensitivity and specificity for microvascular occlusion and associated high mortality (≈50%). The majority of patients who died had acral branching lesions. LIMITATIONS: Small sample size, inpatients at a tertiary care center, and retrospective nature are some limitations. CONCLUSION: Nonbranching dependent purpura corresponded to leukocytoclastic vasculitis, with the most common diagnoses being IgA vasculitis or skin-limited small-vessel vasculitis; patients with deep involvement often had systemic diseases. In this series, branching purpura was due to microvascular occlusion rather than medium-vessel vasculitis, and had associated high mortality.