[Henoch-Schoenlein syndrome in an 80-year-old patient]

An 80-year old female patient, hospitalised with pneumonia and myocardial infarction, suddenly developed fever, dyspnoea, malaise, arthralgia and crampy abdominal pain. On the following day, she developed a petechial rash and on the 6 (th) day, macroscopic haematuria. On physical examination, the patient presented with a temperature of 40 degrees C, tachypnoea, tachycardia, and on auscultation coarse crepitations at the left lower base. The abdomen was tender upon deep palpation but bowel sounds were normal. Initially the petechial rash was located at the trunk, later progressing towards the extremities.

Chest X-ray and laboratory tests were consistent with left lower lobe pneumonia. The clinical picture was not consistent with any haematological causes, coagulopathy or any medication the patient was taking. Rheumatological blood tests (involving ANA, ANCA, rheumatoid factors) were basically negative. A skin biopsy revealed microvessel necrosis and IgA deposits, verifying Henoch-Schoenlein Purpura. An immune electrophoresis revealed a selective IgG-deficiency, which may explain the cause for the patient's recurrent pneumonias.

The patient recovered well under antibiotic treatment and skin lesions healed without sequelae.

We present an unusual case of Henoch Schoenlein purpura associated with strictly petechial rash in an 80 year old female.