Renal angiogram abnormalities in a case of cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa

The existence of a limited cutaneous form of polyarteritis nodosa remains controversial. It has been characterized and contrasted with systemic polyarteritis nodosa by running a chronic course and having a relatively good long-term prognosis. We report a case with clinical features fitting the criteria for cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa but also showing evidence of associated renal aneurysms on selective visceral angiography. These findings suggest that the differentiation between systemic and cutaneous forms might be an oversimplification and we discuss the relationship between the two forms.