A study on clinico- epidemiological profile & histopathological profile of cutaneous vasculitis

Abstract

: The study aimed to analyse the potential etiological factors, clinical presentation, past medical history & laboratory findings in patients with biopsy-proven cutaneous vasculitis to better understand the disease and identify the disease classifications. The objective of this study was to establish a database of the clinic-epidemiological profile and histopathological features of cutaneous vasculitis in a tertiary hospital in Eastern Nepal.: A Descriptive cross-sectional study was planned to analyse and study the clinic-epidemiological profile and histopathological features of cutaneous vasculitis in Nepal. This study has reviewed the facts which were published earlier to determine the current scenario by vast study of statistics and derivation of facts. Proper examination of data was made to evaluate with final conclusion. The study included sample size of 30 consecutive patients with biopsy-proven cutaneous vasculitis attending the Dermatology outpatient department and admitted to the dermatology ward at B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Science, Dharan. : The study population of 30 patients with biopsy-proven cutaneous vasculitis, with an average age of 32.96 years, and a female-to-male ratio of 1.3:1. The majority of patients (66.67%) had lesions lasting less than 6 weeks, and acute disease was observed in 86.66% of the cases. The most common symptoms were itching (73.66%) and arthralgia (66.67%). Palpable purpura was the predominant cutaneous manifestation (70%), mainly distributed on the legs and ankles (93.33%). Elevated ESR was the most common laboratory abnormality (73.33%). Histopathological examination revealed leukocytoclastic vasculitis in 97% of cases, with predominantly neutrophilic infiltrates. Henoch-Schoenlein purpura (HSP) was the most common classification (43.33%), followed by urticarial vasculitis (26.67%).: This study provides valuable insights into the clinic-epidemiological profile and histopathological features of cutaneous vasculitis in the Nepalese population. It highlights the diverse clinical presentation and laboratory abnormalities associated with the condition, as well as potential etiological factors and disease classifications. The findings contribute to improved understanding, diagnosis, and management of cutaneous vasculitis. Further studies with larger cohorts are needed to validate and expand upon these findings.