Clinical aspects of cutaneous necrotizing vasculitis.

In this paper we review the clinical manifestations in cutaneous necrotizing vasculitis. Palpable purpura is the most common clinical pattern, while urticarial vasculitis, erythema elevatum diutinum and nodular vasculitis have found less commonly. Clinicopathological lesions may occur in internal locations also, presumably due to circulating immune complex-mediated vessel damage at those sites. In the setting of the disease, it is possible to observe serum sickness-like reactions, distinct clinical patterns, such as Henoch-Schönlein purpura, essential mixed cryoglobulinemia, vasculitis associated with connective tissue diseases and with malignancies.