[Adult IgA vasculitis]

ADULT IGA VASCULITIS. IgA vasculitis previously named rheumatoid purpura is a rare systemic vasculitis in adults involving small vessels and associated with the presence of immunoglobulin A deposits. IgA vasculitis is often triggerd by infections, taking medication and vaccination. It is characterised by the presence of vascular purpura associated with joint (arthralgia), gastrointestinal (abdominal pain) and sometimes renal involvement (glomerulonephritis). Gastrointestinal involvement can be lifethreatening (bowel perforation), while the longterm prognosis is shaped by the renal involvement (renal failure). In most cases, the disease has a good outcome and only symptomatic treatment is recommended. In more severe forms, corticosteroids, combined with another immunosuppressant or biotherapy, may be discussed on a casebycase basis.