Henoch-Schönlein purpura complicated with severe gastrointestinal bleeding.

Bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract is one of the common determinants of morbidity and mortality in the ordinary clinical setting. The gastrointestinal involvement of Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) has often been described as self-limiting, with no long-term morbidity. In this report, we describe our experience with a male HSP patient who presented with abdominal pain, loss of appetite and deteriorated renal function associated with nephrotic syndrome. Despite the use of aggressive immunomodulatory treatments, including corticosteroids and plasmapheresis, he developed lethal gastrointestinal hemorrhage. We believe that the accumulation of more experience with additional cases similar to ours is mandatory for the establishment of optimal management for HSP patients with severe gastrointestinal manifestations.