- 2025, Volume 56 - Number 4
- Published: April 3, 2025
IgA vasculitis and acute hemorrhagic edema of infancy: a comparative analysis of two case reports
Brenda Maria Toro 1, Miguel Bernardo 2, Bárbara Matos Aguas 1
1 Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Santa Maria, Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, Lisbon, Portugal; 2 Unidade de Pediatria Geral, Serviço de Pediatria Médica, Unidade Local de Saúde de Santa Maria, Lisbon, Portugal
Brenda Maria Toro, Miguel Bernardo, Bárbara Matos Aguas
La información completa de afiliaciones y autor de correspondencia está disponible en la versión original en PDF.
*Correspondence: Bárbara Matos Aguas, Email not available
Abstract
Introduction: Acute hemorrhagic edema of infancy (AHEI) is sometimes considered a milder variant of immunoglobulin A vasculitis (IgAV). This paper presents two clinical cases, aiming to explore the overlaps and differences between these two pathologies. Case report: A four-year-old initially presented with odynophagia, fever, and arthralgia. The diagnosis of IgAV was established following the development of purpura. A nontoxic five-month-old girl, initially diagnosed with viral exanthema, presented with fever, mild respiratory symptoms, and a maculopapular rash on the torso. Gradual progression to purpuric lesions and acral edema led to the diagnosis of AHEI. Discussion: While IgAV and AHEI share some clinical and histological features, their immunofluorescence patterns differ significantly. IgA deposition is observed in nearly 100% of IgAV cases but only in 10–35% of AHEI cases. This disparity may be attributed to the natural immaturity of the immune system in younger infants, potentially explaining the differences between these two diseases.
