Title: Clinicohistopathological study of cutaneous vasculitis

Authors: Deepa S, G Nandakumar, Twinkle S Prasad, Chippi Vijayan

 DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v6i12.118

Abstract

Background: Vasculitides comprise a group of disorders characterized by inflammation directed at blood vessels, identified by histologic examination. Biopsy is the gold standard for the diagnosis of cutaneous vasculitis.

Aims:1) to study in detail, the classic histopathological features of cutaneous vasculitis and correlate them with the clinical features for the emergence of a composite diagnosis of cutaneous vasculitis.2) to evaluate the role of Direct Immunofluorescence in the diagnosis of cutaneous vasculitis.

Materials and Method: this cross sectional descriptive study was conducted in the Department of Pathology, Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, during a period of 2 years in 90 cases having a clinical diagnosis of cutaneous vasculitis. Histopathological findings of the skin biopsy specimens were noted. Direct Immunofluorescence was done in a selected number of cases. Data was analyzed using SPSS software. For all statistical evaluations, a 2-tailed probability of value, <0.05 was considered significant.

Results: This study shows good correlation between clinical and histopathological diagnosis (93.3% of cases) and is statistically significant. DIF acts as an adjuvant investigation in cases suspected to be immunologically mediated.

Keywords: Cutaneous vasculitis, histopathology, Direct immunofluorescence.

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Corresponding Author

Twinkle S Prasad

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