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Urticaria from Trichomonas vaginalis infection
F Purello-D'Ambrosio1, S Gangemi, L Ricciardi
1School of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of Messina, Italy.
Summary
A Trichomonas infection caused pruritic urticarial skin lesions and joint pain in a woman. Treatment with metronidazole eradicated the infection and resolved the symptoms, highlighting the need for thorough investigation of unexplained urticarial conditions.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Infectious Diseases
- Parasitology
Background:
- Urticarial skin lesions and arthralgia can present with various underlying causes.
- Unexplained urticarial conditions warrant comprehensive diagnostic evaluation.
Observation:
- A 32-year-old woman presented with pruritic urticarial lesions and arthralgia.
- Initial investigations revealed elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, blood eosinophilia, and hypocomplementemia.
- Leukorrhea and lesions on the inner thighs prompted testing for gynecological infections.
Findings:
- Vaginal smear and cervical secretion culture confirmed Trichomonas infection.
- Serum analysis identified a 230-kDa Trichomonas surface protein.
- Treatment with oral metronidazole resolved both the infection and the urticarial symptoms.
Implications:
- Trichomonas infection should be considered in the differential diagnosis of unexplained urticarial vasculitis syndrome.
- This case underscores the importance of investigating potential infectious causes in dermatological conditions.
- Early diagnosis and targeted antimicrobial therapy can lead to complete resolution of associated symptoms.