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Palpable purpura, polyarthritis and abdominal pain

Surabhi Mukhopadhyay, Soha Mousa, Biby R George and Andras Perl
Med J Aust 2004; 180 (3): . || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2004.tb05833.x
Published online: 2 February 2004

We report a patient who presented with a purpuric rash and polyarthritis, but IgA deposits were not found in the skin. Abdominal pain and renal disease first emerged 1 and 2 weeks, respectively, after presentation, to reveal the classic tetrad of Henoch–Schönlein purpura. Our patient emphasises the need for careful follow-up in patients with cutaneous vasculitis, as they may develop systemic manifestations, of which renal involvement, particularly, may be asymptomatic.


  • Department of Medicine, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA.


Correspondence: 

Competing interests:

None identified.

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