Henoch-Schonlein purpura in children

Henoch-Schonlein purpura is the most common systemic vasculitis of childhood. In the majority of children, the outcome of Henoch-Schonlein purpura is excellent with spontaneous resolution of symptoms and signs. However, a small subset of patients will develop long-term sequelae in the form of chronic kidney disease. While the clinical presentation and diagnosis of Henoch-Schonlein purpura is straightforward, treatment of Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis and long-term renal outcomes of more severely affected children are less certain. This review article gives a general overview of Henoch-Schonlein purpura with emphasis on recently published information, including the new classification of childhood vasculitis, insights into pathogenesis of Henoch-Schonlein purpura and a summary of various treatments of established Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis.