The clinical Characteristics of Children with Henoch Schonlein Purpura

Aim: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the epidemiologic and clinical features of children with diagnosis of Henoch SchOnlein purpura followed up in our hospital over a three-year period. Patients and Methods: The epidemiological, clinical and laboratory findings, and the data about treatment and relaps of all patients with diagnosis of Henoch SchOnlein purpura were collected by reviewing medical files retrospectively. Results: Seventy-seven children (46 males, 31 females) aged between 2-14 years included in the study. Purpura was the most common finding seen in all patients followed by the joint involvement which occured in 67.4 % of our patients. Gastrointestinal involvement occured in 46 patients (59.7 %) and intestinal intussusception in 2 (2.6%). Renal involvement developed in sixteen patients (21.70) six of them (7.9%) had severe nephropathy. The most frequent laboratory abnormalities were high erythrocyte sedimentation rate (37.6 %), leukocytosis (30 %) and hyper-IgA (40.2 %). Relapses occurred in 12 patients (15.6 %). Conclusion: The epidemiologic and clinical features of patients with Henoch Schonlein purpura followed up in our hospital are similar to those in the literature. The absence of a life threatening reaction related with gastrointestinal or renal system supported the benign course of this disease.