Henoch Schönlein purpura associated with pulmonary adenocarcinoma

• Published in: Journal of medical case reports 2011-06, Vol.5 (1), p.226-226, Article 226
• Main Authors: Mifune, Daiki, Watanabe, Satoshi, Kondo, Rie, Wada, Yoko, Moriyama, Hiroshi, Kagamu, Hiroshi, Yoshizawa, Hirohisa, Tetsuka, Takafumi, Matsuyama, Asako, Ito, Kaoru, Narita, Ichiei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Care and treatment; Case Report; Case studies; Corticosteroids; Diagnosis; Health aspects; Lung cancer; Schonlein-Henoch purpura
• ISSN: 1752-1947; 1752-1947
• DOI: 10.1186/1752-1947-5-226

Henoch-Schönlein purpura is a common immunoglobulin A-mediated vasculitis syndrome in children. Henoch-Schönlein purpura can also affect adults and is probably related to malignancy. We report the case of a 61-year-old Japanese man who presented for examination after an abnormal shadow was detected by chest radiography. He received a diagnosis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma, stage IV. Purpura on the legs, abdominal pain, diarrhea, hematuria and proteinuria developed at this time. Henoch-Schönlein purpura was diagnosed, base on the clinical symptoms and histological findings of biopsy specimens of the skin, which showed vasculitis with immunoglobulin A deposits. Our patient received chemotherapy with gemcitabine after successful steroid therapy for the Henoch-Schönlein purpura. Although hematological malignancies are well-known causes of vasculitides, cases of Henoch-Schönlein purpura associated with lung adenocarcinoma are rare. Our patient was treated with corticosteroid therapy, which cleared the purpura and cytotoxic chemotherapy for the non-small cell lung cancer. However, he died from heart failure due to cardiac tamponade.