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Surface microscopy for discriminating between common urticaria and urticarial vasculitis
F Vázquez-López1, C Maldonado-Seral, T Soler-Sánchez
1Department of Dermatology, Centrak University Hospital, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain. fvlopez@telecable.es
Rheumatology (Oxford, England)
|May 6, 2003
Summary
Skin surface microscopy can differentiate common urticaria from urticarial vasculitis. The presence of purpuric globules under dermoscopy indicates underlying leucocytoclastic vasculitis, aiding clinical diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Pathology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Urticarial vasculitis shares clinical features with common urticaria, necessitating biopsy for accurate diagnosis.
- Distinguishing between these conditions in daily practice can be challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of skin surface microscopy in differentiating common urticaria from urticarial vasculitis.
- To assess if dermoscopic findings correlate with histological evidence of vasculitis.
Main Methods:
- A pilot study involving 20 patients with clinically diagnosed urticaria.
- Skin surface microscopy (10x dermoscope) and biopsy were performed on urticarial lesions.
- Statistical analysis included Fisher's exact test and Cohen kappa statistics for reproducibility.
Main Results:
- Two distinct dermoscopic patterns were identified: a red-lined vascular pattern (17/20) and a purpuric globular pattern (3/20).
- Purpuric globules were significantly associated with histological evidence of leucocytoclastic vasculitis (P < 0.0008).
- Excellent intra-observer reproducibility was achieved for scoring dermoscopic features.
Conclusions:
- Skin surface microscopy, particularly the detection of purpuric globules, can aid in the clinical differentiation of urticarial vasculitis.
- This non-invasive technique shows promise for routine dermatological practice.
- Purpuric globules observed via dermoscopy are a strong indicator of underlying leucocytoclastic vasculitis.