Open AccessCutaneous polyarteritis nodosa: A rare isolated cutaneous vasculitis
Author(s) -
Praveen Kumar Arinaganhalli Subbanna,
Negi Vir Singh,
Rathinam Palamalai Swaminathan
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
indian dermatology online journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2249-5673
pISSN - 2229-5178
DOI - 10.4103/2229-5178.93488
Subject(s) - medicine , dermis , livedo reticularis , polyarteritis nodosa , gangrene , skin biopsy , fibrinoid necrosis , subcutaneous tissue , panniculitis , necrotizing vasculitis , vasculitis , dermatology , pathology , papillary dermis , biopsy , disease
Cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa (CPAN) is a rare form of cutaneous vasculitis that involves small and medium sized arteries of the dermis and subcutaneous tissue without systemic involvement. It presents with tender subcutaneous nodules, digital gangrene, livedo reticularis and subcutaneous ulcerations. The diagnosis is by skin biopsy and characteristic pathologic feature is a leukocytoclastic vasculitis in the small to medium-sized arterioles of the dermis. We report a rare case of benign cutaneous PAN in a 14-year-old girl who presented with history of fever, subcutaneous nodules with cutaneous ulcer and digital gangrene. The skin biopsy showed leukocytoclastic vasculitis with fibrinoid necrosis in the dermal vessels. She received treatment with steroids and lesions resolved completely over a period of month.