Persistent pigmented purpuric dermatitis: granulomatous variant

• Published in: Journal of cutaneous pathology Vol. 38; no. 12; pp. 979 - 983
• Main Authors: MacQuarrie, Erin K., Pasternak, Sylvia, Torok, Maria, Veerassamy, Shalini, Walsh, Noreen M G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.12.2011; Wiley-Blackwell
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Dermatitis; Dermatitis - metabolism; Dermatitis - pathology; Dermatology; Differential diagnosis; Erythrocytes; Etiology; Extravasation; Female; granulomatous; Hemosiderin - metabolism; Humans; Hyperlipidemia; Inflammation; Limbs; Lymphocytes - pathology; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; persistent pigmented purpura; Pigmentary diseases of the skin; Purpura - metabolism; Purpura - pathology; Skin; Skin Pigmentation; Vascular disorders of the skin; Vascular disease; Skin disease; Anatomic pathology; Pigmentation disorder; Purpura; Pigmented purpuric dermatitis; Dermatology; Cardiovascular disease; Capillary vessel disease
• ISSN: 0303-6987; 1600-0560
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0560.2011.01793.x

The persistent pigmented purpuric dermatitides (PPPD) are a spectrum of dermatologic disorders characterized by petechial and pigmented macules usually confined to the lower limbs. Their etiology is unknown and several clinical variants are recognized. At the microscopic level they are characterized by angiocentric lymphocytic inflammation, red blood cell extravasation and hemosiderin deposition. A granulomatous variant of the PPPD has recently been described and to date eleven cases have been reported in the literature. In contrast to the conventional type, this variant is characterized histopathologically by ill‐defined, non‐necrotizing granulomata admixed with the lymphocytic inflammatory background. Although initially the granulomatous variant of the PPPD was thought to occur only in Asian patients, this sole racial predilection has not been substantiated. A tenuous association with hyperlipidemia has been noted but this requires further study. The principal importance of recognizing this entity lies in the need to include it in the histopathological differential diagnosis of granulomatous dermal infiltrates. We report here an additional patient with the granulomatous variant of PPPD and elaborate on this entity in the context of existing information in the literature. MacQuarrie EK, Pasternak S, Torok M, Veerassamy S, Walsh NMG. Persistent pigmented purpuric dermatitis: granulomatous variant.