Childhood Henoch Schonlein purpura in Middle East countries

HSP is the most common systemic vasculitis in children that is characterized by small vessel leukocytoclastic vasculitis. However, it is a self limiting disease, with few documented cases in Middle Eastern countries. Classic symptoms of the disease have been established in the literature, but new clinical features have recently been reported from Middle Eastern countries which include penile swelling, temperomandibular joint involvement, skin rash over the flexor surfaces of the extremities and pleural hemorrhagic effusion. Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) may present as HSP. The prevalence of the FMF gene in Middle Eastern countries raises interesting questions regarding the use of colchicine in HSP patients.