Palpable purpura: An algorithmic approach

Cutaneous vasculitis, secondary to drug reaction, infection or collagen vascular disease, is the most common identifiable cause of palpable purpura. Common causes of palpable purpura often can be identified during the patient's history and physical examination. When this condition occurs in a patient who has not had a known precipitating event, or when the cause is unclear from the history and physical examination, diagnosis may be based on findings of the laboratory investigations and skin biopsy. Many cases of palpable purpura are idiopathic and self-limited. When treatment is necessary, dapsone, colchicine or systemic corticosteroids are useful drugs.