Saturday, February 13, 2016

A Child With Palpable Purpura on Lower Limbs.

A 5-year-old child was admitted in the pediatric ward with features of  palpable purpuric spots over both lower limbs, loose motions 5-6 times/day containing blood and mucus since last 4 days. Parents have noticed that child is passing red colored urine for last 2 days.
Examination of child revealed mild anemia, purpuric rash over both lower limbs without any lymphadenopathy or hepatosplenomegaly.
Urine examination revealed sheets of red cells/hpf and mild proteinuria. No significant abnormality was found in CBC examination.

The rash is shown in the picture below:



1. What is the most probable diagnosis?
2. How to manage it?
3. What is its prognosis?

Answers And Discussion:


1. What is the most probable diagnosis?

Answer: Palpable purpura is suggestive of small vessel vasculitis. Presence of hematuria and proteinuria is indicative of nephritis. Presence of bilateral palpable purpuric spots especially over lower limbs associated with diarrhea and nephritis is highly suggestive of “Henoch-Schonlein purpura” (HSP) also known as anaphylactoid purpura.

HSP is most common cause of nonthrombocytopenic purpura in children. It occurs because of vasculitis of small vessels especially in skin, GIT and kidneys.
It is characterized by sudden development of purpuric or urticarial rash especially over the buttocks and lower extremities and is frequently associated with arthralgia or arthritis, crampy abdominal pain, gastroenteritis, glomerulonephritis and sometimes with nephrotic syndrome. No thrombocytopenia is
associated with it.
Palpable purpuric rash is the hallmark of the disease and tends to come in crops and often lasts from 3 to 10 days.

2. How to manage it?

Answer: Majority of these patients recover completely. Its management is mainly supportive and symptomatic.

  • Bed rest, 
  • proper care of nutrition, 
  • hydration 
  • pain management with acetaminophen
  • Steroids are advised, if severe gastrointestinal symptoms, CNS complications or progressive renal involvement is present.
  • Administration of baby aspirin once a day can help, if thrombotic events have occurred.


3. What is its prognosis?

Answer: Prognosis of this self-limited disease is overall excellent. It mainly depends
on the renal involvement.

2 comments:

  1. Hello, my name is Betty. i was diagnosed of HIV virus 4 years back. Before then, i was dating this Derrick guy. we had something great going on. Our love life only lasted for 8 months. the sixth and seven month of our relationship, i began feeling very weak every now and then. But i never suspected anything until I kept on experiencing different symptoms like having sore throats, constant headache, body weakness e.t.c. I decided to go for a medical check up. I was tested HIV positive. when the doctor broke the news to me, it was as if my whole world had crumbled. it dawned on me then that Derrick has been lying to me. i was very mad to an extent i almost committed suicide. But there was nothing i could do, other than weep and weep. ever since then, i have been spending heavily on medications, going from one medical clinic or the other so I can look healthy. Though since i was a kid, i love herbs a lot. i take herbal tea with grandma while growing so i am quite familiar with herbs. early last year, i was on the internet and on a particular health blog, to check for herbal medication as alternative. I saw many comments and read many testimonies. Until i came across a particular testimony on how Dr.ugo cured a patient from herpes simplex virus using pure natural herbs. i reached out to the doctor because I also was thinking Herpes had no cure. I told him about my HIV status.He encouraged me not to panic that he will help me get my deliverance. he prepared some herbs and sent them to me. The herbs were in four 70ml bottles and I took them morning and night. i used as he directed, and in less than three weeks, i started having appetite to eat plenty of food and i gained back my strength. the fourth week,I consumed all the herbal meds. He encouraged me to go for a test which i did. This time, the result was negative. I quickly contacted the doctor and informed him of the news. I immediately asked him to prepare for Derrick too. He did and sent it. Today, me and Derrick are HIV free. All thanks goes to God Almighty for healing us through Dr.Ugo. if you are having any kind of sickness at all, Dr.Ugo is the right person to talk to and i assure you, you will be glad you did. His email: ugoherbalhome@gmail.com you can also write him on WhatsApp +2348104990619.

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  2. Nice blog
    Have been totally convinced that HIV,and many others dangerous diseases can be best cured using the Herbal Medicine. Dr.Akpu the great and powerful herbalist cured me with his Herbal remedy. I'm Linda,15 years from Texas. I was born with HIV. I lost parents at my teenager age when I was 4th. I had to grew up with my mum only Sister, whom I loved so much. She was so worried about my life as my condition was her mature problem in life. I had taken lots of antiviral treatment to get ride of the virus not believing what there said HIV has no cure. I was on the internet when i came across blogs of testimony about a lady who where cured of a 7 years diagnose of Herpes by this powerful Herbalist, Dr.Akpu.I wrote down his mail @ Dr.akpupowerherbscenter@gmail.com
    I told my Aunt,luckily it was the same Dr,we where referred to few months back by my pastor in church whom members have being testifying about of his cure We did contacted him and explained my problem to him.He prepared the medicine and sent to me with details of how to use and apply. After a while, I began to feel more strong than never before, I felt so lucky and happy when my Doctor congratulated me that he could found no HIV virus again in me. I knew I was free cos my body was so strong. His herbal medicine should have saved my parents life, i said!
    Thanks so much for reading my article, you should share your testimony if you have cure as well
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