Bartonella quintana Infection Manifesting as Leucocytoclastic Vasculitis Rash

We present the first case described in the literature of leucocytoclastic vasculitis due to Bartonella quintana infection. A 73-year-old woman presented to the hospital with persistent fevers, retro-orbital headache, generalized weakness, and left lower thigh pain for one week. She was found to have truncal and proximal lower extremity papules and small plaques. Serology revealed Bartonella quintana IgM titer of 1:256 with undetectable Bartonella quintana IgG and undetectable Bartonella henselae IgG and IgM. Skin biopsy of an abdominal lesion revealed fibrinoid necrosis of vessel walls in the superficial and mid-dermis consistent with leucocytoclastic vasculitis. Doxycycline 100 mg orally twice daily was initiated, after which she had defervescence within 36 hours and rapid improvement of other presenting symptoms.

Leucocytoclastic vasculitis secondary to COVID-19 infection in a young child

The current case report describes a 13-year-old young boy who presented with purpuric rashes following a completely asymptomatic COVID-19 infection and biopsy-confirmed leucocytoclastic vasculitis, mild haematuria and mild elevation of serum IgA. This case highlights one of the dermatological manifestations of COVID-19 infection which has not been reported so far. Paediatricians should explore the history of this infection when evaluating any child presenting with a vasculitic rash.

Mediterranean spotted fever associated with leucocytoclastic vasculitis and acute pancraeatitis

A young healthy gardener became febrile with abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea followed by palpable purpura, mostly on the legs and buttocks with associated arthralgia. Dehydration, azotemia and hyponatraemia resolved with fluid replacement. Tests demonstrated acute pancreatitis, hepatitis, thrombocytopenia, microscopic haematuria and proteinuria. He improved with doxycycline, but bipedal pitting oedema and punctate rash involving the soles/hands appeared. Microbiological tests revealed positive IgM and IgG serology for rickettsiae spotted fever. Skin biopsy of the purpura confirmed leucocytoclastic vasculitis, positive for Rickettsiae conorii by PCR amplification. Palpable purpura is a rare important manifestation of Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF), due to either secondary leucocytoclastic vasculitis or associated Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP), which best explains the distribution of the rash, arthralgia, gastrointestinal symptoms, and microhaematuria not usually seen in R. conorii infections. Likewise, the patient’s acute pancreatitis may be interpreted as a rare presentation of HSP or a seldom-encountered feature of MSF.

Leucocytoclastic vasculitis due to acute bacterial endocarditis resolves with antibiotics

Infective endocarditis is associated with a variety of clinical signs, but its association with multisystem vasculitis is rarely reported. A high index of suspicion is necessary to differentiate a primary autoimmune vasculitis from an infectious cause as the wrong treatment can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. We present a 71-year-old female patient with negative blood cultures, on antibiotics for recent bacteraemia, who presented with cutaneous and renal leucocytoclastic vasculitis. Workup revealed a vegetation adjacent to her right atrial pacemaker lead consistent with infective endocarditis and her vasculitis completely resolved with appropriate antibiotics.

Infant with a rapidly progressing rash

An infant presented to the emergency department with sudden onset of rapidly progressing erythematous macules and distal oedema. The rash was striking in appearance, covering most of the body, which raised concern for pressing infectious (eg, meningococcaemia) and other serious aetiologies. Nevertheless, the infant remained playful and was overall stable and posed a diagnostic and management dilemma. After an extensive workup and multispecialty consultations, the patient was eventually diagnosed with acute haemorrhagic oedema of infancy, a benign leucocytoclastic vasculitis. The patient received no treatment and resolution of the rash occurred within 7 days of onset. Recognition of this condition and its benign nature can spare patients from an extensive workup and reduce anxiety for both family members and healthcare providers.

Leucocytoclastic vasculitis in a patient with COVID-19 with positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR in skin biopsy

Main skin manifestations of COVID-19 have been recently classified. However, little is known about cutaneous histopathological patterns and the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in these skin lesions. We present a healthy 29-year-old man who developed a leucocytoclastic vasculitis for COVID-19 with positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR in skin biopsy.