Petichial spots over the back

This is common with typhus and can be present with meningitis caused by meningococcal meningitis or septicaemia.

Classification

Purpura is a common and unspecific medical sign, however the underlying mechanism commonly involves one of the following:

• Platelet disorders
  • Primary thrombocytopenic purpura
  • Secondary thrombocytopenic purpura
• Vascular disorders
  • Microvascular injury, as seen in senile (old age) purpura, when blood vessels are more easily damaged
  • Hypertensive states
  • Deficient vascular support
  • Vasculitis, as in the case of Henoch-Schönlein purpura
• Coagulation disorders
  • Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)
• Vitamin C deficiency - defect in collagen synthesis due to lack of hydroxylation of procollagen. It results in weakened capillary walls.

There are also cases of psychogenic purpura described in the medical literature,^[2] some claimed to be due to "autoerythrocyte sensitization." Other studies^[3] suggest, that local (cutaneous) activity of tPA can be increased in psychogenic purpura, leading to substantial amounts of localized plasmin activity, rapid degradation of fibrin clots, and resultant bleeding. Petechial rash is also characteristic of a rickettsial infection.

See also

• Petechia
• Ecchymoses

References

1. ↑ Kumar, Vinay; Abbas, Abul K.; Fausto, Nelson; & Mitchell, Richard N. (2007). Robbins Basic Pathology (8th ed.). Saunders Elsevier. pp. 10-11 ISBN 978-1-4160-2973-1
2. ↑
3. ↑

External links

• Purpura information
• Evaluating the Child with Purpura from American Academy of Family Physicians

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