Acute Hemorrhagic Edema of Infancy: A Diagnostic Challenge for the General Pediatrician. 2020

Alexander K C Leung, and Kin F Leong, and Joseph M Lam
Department of Pediatrics, The University of Calgary, Alberta Children's Hospital, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

BACKGROUND Acute hemorrhagic edema of infancy (AHEI), a benign and self-limited disease, can be easily mistaken to be a number of diseases with similar dermatological manifestations but with potentially adverse outcomes. OBJECTIVE This review aimed to familiarize pediatricians with the natural history, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and management of AHEI. METHODS A PubMed search was conducted in February 2020 in Clinical Queries using the key terms "acute hemorrhagic edema of infancy" OR "Finkelstein disease" OR "Seidlmayer disease". The search strategy included meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, clinical trials, observational studies, and reviews published within the past 10 years. Only papers published in the English literature were included in this review. The information retrieved from the above search was used in the compilation of the present article. RESULTS AHEI, a rare cutaneous leukocytoclastic small-vessel vasculitis, typically presents with palpable purpura, peripheral acral edema, and frequently with fever, most often in children between 4 and 24 months of age. A significant number of children experience prodromal symptoms of an upper respiratory infection. Fever is typically low grade and is present in approximately 50% of cases. The cutaneous lesions are characterized by rapid onset of small erythematous macules or papules that progress to well demarcated, annular, rosette, medallion-like, or targetoid purpuric plaques or ecchymosis in 24 to 48 hours. The skin lesions are typically palpable, nonpruritic, and symmetrically distributed. Sites of predilection include the face, auricles, and extremities. Edema is typically nonpitting and asymmetrical and occurs primarily on the dorsum of the hands and feet, the face, and the auricles. In spite of the acuteness and extent of the cutaneous findings, the child looks well and nontoxic. Systemic and/or visceral involvement are rare. The differential diagnosis is broad and includes, among others, Henoch-Schönlein purpura. It is crucial to distinguish AHEI from the other diseases since the management of these diseases is quite different. The clinical features of mimickers of AHEI are reviewed and clues to differentiate AHEI from these mimickers are highlighted..AHEI is a benign, self-limited disease with complete spontaneous recovery in one to three weeks in the majority of cases. CONCLUSIONS Recognizing this rare disease is important for the pediatrician to rapidly differentiate AHEI from other potentially serious diseases that require prompt therapy and monitoring. With rapid recognition of AHEI, unnecessary investigations and inappropriate interventions can be prevented and parental anxiety can be avoided.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007223 Infant A child between 1 and 23 months of age. Infants
D011695 IgA Vasculitis A systemic non-thrombocytopenic purpura caused by HYPERSENSITIVITY VASCULITIS and deposition of IGA-containing IMMUNE COMPLEXES within the blood vessels throughout the body, including those in the kidney (KIDNEY GLOMERULUS). Clinical symptoms include URTICARIA; ERYTHEMA; ARTHRITIS; GASTROINTESTINAL HEMORRHAGE; and renal involvement. Most cases are seen in children after acute upper respiratory infections. Allergic Purpura,Anaphylactoid Purpura,Henoch Purpura,Henoch-Schoenlein Purpura,Purpura Hemorrhagica,Purpura, Nonthrombocytopenic,Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch,Rheumatoid Purpura,Schoenlein-Henoch Purpura,Vasculitis, Hemorrhagic,Henoch Schonlein Purpura,Henoch-Schonlein Purpura,Purpura, Nonthrombopenic,Purpura, Schonlein-Henoch,Hemorrhagic Vasculitis,Hemorrhagica, Purpura,Henoch Schoenlein Purpura,Henoch Schonlein Purpuras,Henoch-Schonlein Purpuras,Nonthrombocytopenic Purpura,Nonthrombopenic Purpura,Nonthrombopenic Purpuras,Purpura, Allergic,Purpura, Anaphylactoid,Purpura, Henoch,Purpura, Henoch Schonlein,Purpura, Henoch-Schoenlein,Purpura, Henoch-Schonlein,Purpura, Rheumatoid,Purpura, Schoenlein Henoch,Purpura, Schonlein Henoch,Purpuras, Henoch Schonlein,Purpuras, Henoch-Schonlein,Purpuras, Nonthrombopenic,Purpuras, Schonlein-Henoch,Schoenlein Henoch Purpura,Schonlein Purpura, Henoch,Schonlein Purpuras, Henoch,Schonlein-Henoch Purpura,Schonlein-Henoch Purpuras,Vasculitis, IgA
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D003937 Diagnosis, Differential Determination of which one of two or more diseases or conditions a patient is suffering from by systematically comparing and contrasting results of diagnostic measures. Diagnoses, Differential,Differential Diagnoses,Differential Diagnosis
D004487 Edema Abnormal fluid accumulation in TISSUES or body cavities. Most cases of edema are present under the SKIN in SUBCUTANEOUS TISSUE. Dropsy,Hydrops,Anasarca
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000072143 Pediatricians Qualified medical professionals specializing in maintaining health and providing medical care to children from birth through adolescence. Pediatrician
D000208 Acute Disease Disease having a short and relatively severe course. Acute Diseases,Disease, Acute,Diseases, Acute
D018366 Vasculitis, Leukocytoclastic, Cutaneous Disorder characterized by a vasculitic syndrome associated with exposure to an antigen such as a drug, infectious agent, or other foreign or endogenous substance. Its pathophysiology includes immune complex deposition and a wide range of skin lesions. Hypersensitivity or allergy is present in some but not all cases. Angiitis, Hypersensitivity,Cutaneous Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis,Hypersensitivity Angiitis,Hypersensitivity Vasculitis,Vasculitis, Hypersensitivity,Allergic Cutaneous Angiitis,Allergic Cutaneous Vasculitis,Angiitis, Allergic Cutaneous,Cutaneous Allergic Vasculitis,Cutaneous Leukocytoclastic Angiitis,Vasculitis, Allergic Cutaneous,Allergic Cutaneous Angiitides,Allergic Cutaneous Vasculitides,Allergic Vasculitides, Cutaneous,Allergic Vasculitis, Cutaneous,Angiitides, Allergic Cutaneous,Angiitides, Cutaneous Leukocytoclastic,Angiitides, Hypersensitivity,Angiitis, Cutaneous Leukocytoclastic,Cutaneous Allergic Vasculitides,Cutaneous Angiitides, Allergic,Cutaneous Angiitis, Allergic,Cutaneous Leukocytoclastic Angiitides,Cutaneous Leukocytoclastic Vasculitides,Cutaneous Vasculitides, Allergic,Cutaneous Vasculitis, Allergic,Hypersensitivity Angiitides,Hypersensitivity Vasculitides,Leukocytoclastic Angiitides, Cutaneous,Leukocytoclastic Angiitis, Cutaneous,Leukocytoclastic Vasculitides, Cutaneous,Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis, Cutaneous,Vasculitides, Allergic Cutaneous,Vasculitides, Cutaneous Allergic,Vasculitides, Cutaneous Leukocytoclastic,Vasculitides, Hypersensitivity,Vasculitis, Cutaneous Allergic,Vasculitis, Cutaneous Leukocytoclastic

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