What Is Cutaneous Vasculitis?
Cutaneous vasculitis is a vascular disease of small blood vessels serving the skin that is characterized by segmental (spotty) inflammation of affected vessel walls resulting in their necrosis (destruction). Scarring is seen in the affected skin that lies over the destroyed blood vessels.
Skin appearance varies from small flat, purplish spots to raised purplish areas over damaged vessels.
In most cases, cutaneous vasculitis results from deposits of toxic immune complexes in the affected vessel walls that is caused by autoimmune activity targeting small blood vessels.1
Cutaneous vasculitis can also result from infection, drug reactions, or malignancies.
Who is Affected in the general Population? Cutaneous vasculitis affects all ages.
The overall annual incidence of cutaneous vasculitis was 38.6 persons per million in 1998.2
What Is Cutaneous Vasculitis In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?
Hello. The following content is for subscribers.
Already a subscriber? Please login below…
- Abenavoli L, Proietti I, Leggio L, Ferrulli A, Vonghia L, Capizzi R, Rotoli M, Amerio PL, Gasbarrini G, Addolorato G. Cutaneous manifestations in celiac disease. World J Gastroenterol. 2006 Feb 14;12(6):843-52.
- Watts RA, Jolliffe VA, Grattan CE, Elliott J, Lockwood M, Scott DG. Cutaneous vasculitis in a defined population–clinical and epidemiological associations. J Rheumatol. 1998 May;25(5):920-4.