ETIOLOGIC FACTORS AND UNDERLYING CONDITIONS IN PATIENTS WITH LEUKOCYTOCLASTIC VASCULITIS

This study concerns a retrospective analysis of 63 consecutive patient s presenting with leucocytoclastic vasculitis at the Departments of De rmatology or Rheumatology of the University Hospital Ghent (Belgium) ( period 1988 - 1993). The diagnosis of leucocytoclastic vasculitis was confirmed by histopathology in all cases. All patients were screened f or underlying causes, including drugs, infection, systemic autoimmune disease or neoplasia. In 34 patients, an etiological factor was identi fied: drugs (5 patients), infection (6 patients), drugs or infection ( 4 patients), systemic autoimmune disease (10 patients), Henoch Shonlei n (6 patients), neoplasia (2 patients) and cryoglobulinemia (1 patient ). In the group of patients with leucocytoclastic vasculitis in the co ntext of systemic autoimmune disease, 4 patients suffered from systemi c lupus erythematosus, 2 from Wegener's disease, 2 from Behcet's disea se, 1 from polyarteritis nodosa and 1 from rheumatoid arthritis. In th e remaining 29 patients, no cause for the vasculitis could be identifi ed.