Urticarial vasculitis and recurrent pleural effusion: a systemic manifestation of urticarial vasculitis

A 62-year-old woman with an 8-year history of urticaria, arthralgia and arthritis developed recurrent pleural effusion. A thorough laboratory workup during repeated attacks of concomitant urticaria and pleural effusion disclosed only hypocomplementemia and the histopathological finding of the skin biopsy revealed leukoclastic vasculitis. These findings are compatible with the entity of urticarial vasculitis. It is thus suggested that pleural effusion can form part of the systemic manifestations of urticarial vasculitis.