musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
Immunoglobulin A–Associated Vasculitis (IgAV)
Symptoms and Signs of IgAV
The disease begins with a sudden palpable purpuric rash typically occurring on the feet, legs, and, occasionally, the trunk and arms. The purpura may start as small areas of urticaria that become palpable and sometimes hemorrhagic and confluent. Crops of new lesions may appear over days to several weeks. Many patients also have fever and polyarthralgia with periarticular tenderness and swelling of the ankles, knees, hips, wrists, and elbows. Gastrointestinal symptoms are common and include colicky abdominal pain, abdominal tenderness, and melena. Intussusception occasionally develops in children. Stool may test positive for occult blood. Symptoms of immunoglobulin A–associated vasculitis usually remit after about 4 weeks but often recur at least once after a disease-free interval of several weeks. In most patients, the disorder subsides without serious sequelae; however, although rare, some patients develop chronic kidney disease. In adults, intussusception is rare and chronic kidney disease is more common than in children. 