Acute hemorrhagic edema of infancy: alarming lesions of a benign condition. Case report

Abstract

We report a case of acute hemorrhagic edema of infancy in an 18-month-old boy after an episode of otitis media. The clinical presentation begins with skin erythematous macules on the thighs, followed by purpuric lesions in arms, legs, and ankle edema. It was initially interpreted as urticaria, whereby steroids were indicated. However, the clinical feature was acute hemorrhagic edema of infancy, a benign leukocytoclastic vasculitis that occurs in children between 4 and 24 months of age and is characterized by fever, large purpuric palpable target-like skin lesions affecting the face, lobes of the ears, limbs and frequently associated with edema. Differential diagnosis includes erythema multiforme, hemorrhagic urticaria, drug- induced vasculitis, Kawasaki disease, infected eczema, sepsis (either meningococcal or non-meningococcal) and child abuse. Some of them have risk of mortality. Management is conservative, however, steroids may be a therapeutic option.