Cutaneous Vascular Diseases

Cutaneous Vascular Diseases
by:Rick Lin, DO MPH
KCOM Dermatology Residency Program

Raynaud’s Phenomenon
* Intermittent constriction of the small digital arteries and arterioles
* Persistently cyanotic and painful
* Aggrevated by cold weather
* Young middle aged women
* Assoc c scleroderma, dermatomyositis, LE, Mixed connective tissue diseases, Sjogren’s RA, and paroxysmal hemoglobinuria.
* Scleroderma is the underlying condition for more than half of the patients
* Maybe caused by medications, ie bleomycin

The LDI images below graphically illustrate the vasospasm of Raynaud’s phenomenon following a cold provocation.

Raynaud’s Disease
* Primary disorders
* Pallor, cyanosis, hyperemia, and numbness of the finger
* Precipitated by cold.
* Present for 2 years with out associated disease finding
* Good prognosis
* Multifactorial.
* Increase alpha-2 sympathetic receptor activity on vessels.
* Endothelia dysfunction
* Deficiency in calcitonin gene related protein
* Central thermoregulatory defects
* Treatment include avoidance of aggravating factor, ie cold.
* Vasodilating drugs, nifedipine, 10-20 mg tid; prazosin 1-3 mg tid
* Nitroglycerin 2% local application

Erythromelalgia
* Aka erythermalgia and acromelalgia
* May be secondary to myeloproliferative disease such as polycythemia vera, TTP
* Responds to treatment of primary disorders
* Cold water immersion

Livedo Reticularis
* Mottled or reticulated pink/reddish/blue discoloration
* Assoc c LE, DM, scleroderma, RA
* Side effect of amantadine

Necrotizing livedo reticularis
* Assoc c nodules and ulcerations
* Result from sever atherosclerotic disease
* Sneddon’s syndrome

Livedoid Vasculitis
* atrophie blanche
o White stellate scars of ulcers
* PURPLE (Painful purpuric ulcer with reticular pattern of the lower extremity)
* Histologically shows chronic perivascular hemorrhage.

Treatment
* Low Dosage of Aspirin 325mg qd
* Nifedipine 10mg TID
* Pentoxifylline 400mg BID-TID

Marshall-White Syndrome
* Bier’s Spot: White spot appear on hand with blood pressure cuff
* Consist of Bier’s spot and is associated with insomnia and tachycardia
* White middle age men

Purpura
* Multifocal extravasation of blood into the skin
* Petechiae <3mm
* Ecchymosis
* Vobices (vibex) – Linear
* Hematoma – pool-like collection
* Complete blood count
* PT and PTT

Thrombocytopenic Purpura
* Three Large Categories:
o Accelerated platelet destruction
o Deficient platelet production
o Unknown pathogenesis

Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura
* Aka autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura
* Aka Werlhof’s disease
* Bleeding occurs when platelet count drops below 50,000
* Risk greatly increased for serious hemorrhage when count goes below 10,000
* Acute variety occurs in children following season viral illness in 50% of the patient.
* Lag between illness and onset of purpura is 2 weeks
* Resolve spontaneously with minimal therapy
* Chronic case may result in death.
* Chronic form most often occur in adult
* Evaluate patient with Tc99M radionuclide scan to look for accessory spleen
* Result of platelet injury by antibodies of IgG class
* Treatment include Splenectomy, systemic corticosteroid, IVIg

These are the kidneys from a case of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Petechiae are found throughout the renal parenchyma.

Drug-Induced Thrombocytopenia
* Drug induced antiplatelet antibodies
* May be caused by sulfonamides, digoxin, quinine, quinidine, PCN, furosemide, Lidocaine, methyldopa

Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura
* Aka Moschcowitz syndrome
* Pentad of thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia, renal abnormalities, fever, CNS disturbance.
* Delay in diagnosis may lead to a mortality rate as high as 90%
* Positive histologic diagnosis require gingival biopsies looking for subendothelial hyaline deposits
* Exchange plasmapheresis is required for treatment. 80% patient survive if treatment is instituted.

Dysproteinemic Purpura
* Aka Nonthrombocytopenic purpura
* Aka purpura cryoglobulinemica
* Aka cryofibrinogenemia
* Occur most frequently in multiple myeloma and macroglobulinemia of monoclonal IgM, IgG, or Bence Jones cryoglobulin.
* Tx with plasmaphoresis, systemic steroid, and immunosuppressors.

Purpura Hyperglobulinemica
* Aka Waldenstrom’s hyperglobulinemic purpura
* Consist of episodic showers of petechiae occuring on all parts of body
* Diffuse peppery distribution, resembling Schamberg’s
* Most useful labtest is protein electrophoresis
* Hyperglobulinemic purpura occurs most commonly in women.
* Frequently seen with Hepatitis C and Sjogren’s syndrome, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, RA
* Histologically: derma vessels with perivascular infiltrate of mononuclear cells.
* Benign and chronic course. Assoc c various of connective tissue diseases.

Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia
* Bleeding from mucous membrane of the mouth and nose, lymphadenopathy, hepatomegaly, retina hemorrhage, and RARELY the purpura
* Perivasular infiltrate containing lymphocytes and neutrophils and eosinophils
* Plasmaphoresis until adequate dose of chlorambucil is administered. Cyclophosphamide and corticosteriods are treatment options as well

A Skull X Ray showed a single, small, left-sided lytic Defect.
Drug- and Food Induced Purpura
* Drug induced purpura may occurs without platelet destruction.
* Cocaine induced thrombosis with infarct skin assoc c skin popping.
* Rumpel-Leede sign: distal shower of petechiae that occurs immediately after the release of pressure from a tourniqut release. Associated with capillary fragility.
* Topical EMLA can induce purpura in 30m.
Solar Purpura
* Large, sharply outlined 1-5 cm dark purplish red ecchymoses on dormsum of the forearm
* Less frequently, back of the hand

Purpura Fulminans
* Aka purpura gangrenosa
* Severe, rapidly fatal reaction occurring most commonly in children after infectious illness
* May follows scarlet fever, strep pharyngitis, and meningococcal meningitis.
* Assoc c Protein C or S deficiency in Neonates
* Management is supportive
* Protein C replacement if protein C deficiency is present
* Fresh frozen plasma maybe useful

Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation
* Up to 2/3 of DIC patients have skin lesions
* Minute, widspread petechiae, ecchymoses, ischemic necrosis of the skin and hemorrhage bullae.
* Elevated PT and PTT, fibrin degradation products
* Decrease platelets, decreased fibrinogen

Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation
* All patient needs to receive vitamin K replacement to exclude vitamin K deficiency.

Fibrinolysis Syndrome
* An acute hemorrhagic state brought by inability of the blood to clot
* Massive hemorrhages into the skin produce blackish, purplish swelling.
* Can be a complication of pregnancy in cases of placental previa, eclampsia, and fatal death
* Excessive fibrinolysis

Blue Muffin Baby
* Purpuric lesions observed in newborns with congenital rubella
* Assoc c disease that produce extramedullary erythropoesis
* Generalized dark blue to magenta nonblanchable, indurated, round, oval hemispheric papules 1-7mm
* Evaluation c biopsy, TORCH serology, CBC, viral culture.
Itching Purpura

* Aka diseminated pruriginous angiodermatitis
* Orange-purpleish-red petechiae evolve completely and may become confluent in 2 weeks
* Runs its course in 3-6 months. May become chronic
* Unknown etiology

Deep Vein Thrombosis
* Almost always affect femoral vein
* Leads to Reversible ischemia or frank gangrene
* Significant superficial vein thrombosis is a risk factor for DVT
* Pulmonary Embolism is a major concern
* Malignant Neoplasms are the most common underlying condition
* Pulmonary Embolism has 40% mortality
* DVT is assoc c 35% of cancer associated causes as the first sign
* Patient younger than 40 with DVT prompt for search for cancer

Superficial Thrombophlebitis
* Painful induration with erythema
* Linear or branching configuration forming cords
* Assoc c hypercoagulable state
* Need to be evaluated for possibility of deep veous disease

Mondor’s Disease
* 3:1 = women:men
* Age range 30-60
* Sudden appearance of a cord like thrombosed vein along the anterior-lateral chest wall
* First red and tender and subsequently change into a painless tough, fibrous band.
* No systemic symptom associated
* Treatment of the symptom: hot moist dressing with NSAID
* Runs its course for 3-6 months.

Calciphylaxis
* End-stage renal disease patients with metastatic calcification are most exclusively affected by this disease.
* Reticulated violaceous, mottled patches
* Progress into ecchymosis, central necrosis, and ulceration
* 50%+ morbidity and mortality
* Death is usually caused by staphylococcal sepsis after infection
* Hyperbaric oxygen has used with some success

* On low magnification, basophilic alteration of a fibrous septum can be seen Fibrin thrombi are also present within many of the blood vessels of the subcutaneous adipose tissue (Figure 3). Higher magnification identifies calcium deposition within the fibrous septum, primarily on elastic fibers (Figure 4, Figure 5). Higher magnification of the same area with Verhoeff-van Gieson stain confirms the presence of fragmented elastic fibers (Figure 6). Special stain for calcium (von-Kossa) identifies calcium deposition both within the septum of the fat lobule (Figure 7) and within the walls of blood vessels (Figure 8).
Fibrin thrombi are also present within many of the blood vessels of the subcutaneous adipose tissue

Higher magnification of the same area with Verhoeff-van Gieson stain confirms the presence of fragmented elastic fibers

Special stain for calcium (von-Kossa) identifies calcium deposition both within the septum of the fat lobule

Scorbutic Purpura
* Bleeding gums
* Deficiency in Vitamin C
Achenbach’s Syndrome
* Aka Paroxysmal Hand Hematoma
* Spontaneous focal hemrhage into palm or volar suface
* Transitory localized pain followed by rapid swelling and bluish discoloration
* Acute nature with rapid resolution

Painful Bruising Syndrome
* Aka Autoerythrocyte Sensitization
* Aka Gardner-Diamond Syndrome
* Distinctive localized purpuric reaction
* Young and middle-aged women with some emotional disturbance
* Emotional upset is the precipitating factor
* Intracutaneous injections of erythrocytes stroma evoke lesions
* Some believe the symptome to be artifactual.

Psychogenic Purpura
* Similar purpura as Painful bruising syndrome
* Absence of erythrocytes sensitivity
* Secretan’s syndrome: factitial lymphedema of the hand
* L’oedeme bleu: factitial lymphadema of the arm

Pigmentary Purpuric Eruption
* Pigmented purpuric eruptions of the lower extremities
* Similar histologic finding
* Shamberg’s
* Majocci’s
* Gougerot-Blum

Shamberg Diseases
* Aka progressive pigmentary dermatosis
* Grains of cayenne pepper
* Lesions seldom itch
* Favors lower shins and ankles

Majocchi’s Disease
* Aka purpura annularis telangiectodes
* Bluish annular macules 1-3cm in diameter with telangiectatic puncta
* Begins symmetrically at lower extremities
* Involution requires as long as a year, and may prolong indefinitely
* Asymptomatic.
Gougerot-Blum
* Pigmented purpuric lichenoid dermatitis
* Minute, rust-colored lichenoid papules that fuse into plaques of various hues
* Legs, thighs, and lower trunk
* Differentiate from Schamberg based on distribution and lichenoid lesions.
* Lichen Aureus

Ducas Kapetanakis pigmented purpura
* Histologically present with distinguished from others by presence of spongiosis
* Must be distinguished from mycosis fungoides
Histology

* Purupra Majocchi-Schamberg is characterized by slight alteration of superficial capillaries with hemorrhage and perivascular lymphocytic infiltrate.

Cutaneous Vascular Diseases Part-1.ppt
Cutaneous Vascular Diseases Part-2.ppt