Successful treatment of severe gastrointestinal involvement in adult-onset Henoch-Schonlein purpura

• Published in: Singapore medical journal Vol. 48; no. 11; pp. 1047 - 1050
• Main Authors: SHARMA, A, WANCHU, A, KALRA, N, SINGH, S, BAMBERY, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Singapore Medical Association 01.11.2007
• Subjects: Abdominal Pain - etiology; Administration, Oral; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Biopsy; Capillaries - pathology; Complement C3 - metabolism; Constipation - etiology; Dermatology; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage - etiology; General aspects; Humans; Ilium - blood supply; Immunoglobulin A - metabolism; Infusions, Intravenous; Intestine, Small - blood supply; Ischemia - diagnosis; Ischemia - drug therapy; Male; Medical sciences; Mesenteric Vascular Occlusion - diagnosis; Mesenteric Vascular Occlusion - drug therapy; Methylprednisolone - administration & dosage; Occult Blood; Prednisone - administration & dosage; Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch - diagnosis; Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch - drug therapy; Sarcoidosis. Granulomatous diseases of unproved etiology. Connective tissue diseases. Elastic tissue diseases. Vasculitis; Skin - blood supply; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Vascular disorders of the skin; Vasculitis, Leukocytoclastic, Cutaneous - diagnosis; Vasculitis, Leukocytoclastic, Cutaneous - drug therapy; Vomiting - etiology; Human; small vessel vasculitis; Skin disease; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Cardiovascular disease; Mesentery; Gastrointestinal; gastrointestinal disease; Vascular disease; Treatment; Vasculitis; adult-onset Henoch-Schonlein purpura; Gastrointestinal diseases; Blood vessel; mesenteric vasculitis; Henoch-Schönlein purpura; Capillary vessel disease; Adult; Tropical medicine; Severe; Henoch- Schonlein purpura
• ISSN: 0037-5675

Henoch-Schönlein purpura is a small vessel vasculitis which is uncommon in adults. The presentations of adult-onset disease are different from those seen in childhood. The commonly-recognised serious gastrointestinal complications of childhood are less well-documented in adults. We report three cases of adult-onset Henoch-Schönlein purpura with severe gastrointestinal involvement. All were men, aged 22, 35 and 42 years, respectively. Two of these patients had evidence of mesenteric ischaemia on computed tomography of the abdomen. All three patients were successfully treated with steroids.