Small vessel vasculitis and vasculitis confined to skin

Abstract

Cutaneous vasculitis is a heterogeneous group of disorders, which can be confined to the skin or may be part of an associated systemic disease. Various aetiological agents as well as conditions that mimic skin vasculitis, usually present with similar clinical features; mainly palpable purpura. The skin biopsies usually show leukocytoclastic vasculitis. This poses a great diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for the physician. The aetiologies, clinical features, diagnosis and treatment modalities for each form (drugs, infections, malignancies, systemic vasculitides, connective tissue disorders, Schonlein-Henoch purpura, cryoglobulinaemia, cutaneous periarteritis nodosa, livedoid vasculitis, erythema elevatum diutinum and urticarial vasculitis) are reviewed.