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24-year-old female presents with a 3-month history of nonpruritic rash

A 24-year-old female with no significant past medical history presented with a 3-month history of a nonpruritic rash with weekly recurrence. Physical examination revealed annular erythematous patches with petechiae on the lower extremities and abdomen.

What's your diagnosis?

Leukocytoclastic vasculitis

Lichen aureus

Purpura annularis telangiectodes of Majocchi

Parapsoriasis

Eczema

Purpura annularis telangiectodes of Majocchi (PATM) or Majocchi’s disease, is an uncommon subtype of pigmented purpuric dermatosis (PPD) or capillaritis, typically characterized by symmetrical, nonblanching, purpuric, telangiectatic, and atrophic patches with a predilection for the lower extremities and buttocks.

Courtesy Lynette Xu and Dr. Brooke Resh Sateesh

Plaques are usually 1-3 cm in diameter and annular with punctate telangiectasias and cayenne pepper petechiae in the border. The annular patches may form concentric rings. It is most commonly seen in children and young females.

The etiology of Majocchi’s disease is largely unknown and idiopathic.

Courtesy Lynette Xu and Dr. Brooke Resh Sateesh

Triggers are not always detected but may be associated with viral infections, chronic comorbidities, and medications. Levofloxacin and isotretinoin have been described in as reports as causing PATM. Other medications reported to cause PPD include sedatives, stimulants, antibiotics, NSAIDS, and cardiovascular drugs.

Diagnosis of PATM is clinical and histopathologic. Direct immunofluorescence (DIF) may show fibrinogen, IgM, and/or C3 deposition in superficial dermal vessels. Histopathologic findings show lymphocytic infiltrate involving the superficial small vessels, extravasated red blood cells, and hemosiderin-laden macrophages.

Dr. Brooke Resh Sateesh, San Diego Family Dermatology

Dr. Sateesh

There is no consensus regarding treatment with variable responses to proposed treatment based on reports and case studies. The first line of treatment is topical corticosteroids and compression hose. Additional treatments, including narrowband UVB phototherapy (NBUVB), griseofulvin, pentoxifylline, cyclosporine, colchicine, rutoside with ascorbic acid, and methotrexate, have been used with varying success.

In this patient, a punch biopsy was performed, which revealed lymphocytes and extravasated erythrocytes and siderophages in the dermis. She was treated with topical steroids with improvement. She started NBUVB, a short course of griseofulvin, and vitamin C supplements.

Dr. Donna Bilu Martin, Premier Dermatology, MD, Aventura, Fla.

Dr. Donna Bilu Martin

This case and the photos were photo submitted by Ms. Xu, of the University of California, San Diego, and Dr. Sateesh, of San Diego Family Dermatology. Dr. Donna Bilu Martin edited the column.

Dr. Bilu Martin is a board-certified dermatologist in private practice at Premier Dermatology, MD, in Aventura, Fla. More diagnostic cases are available at mdedge.com/dermatology. To submit a case for possible publication, send an email to dermnews@mdedge.com.

References

1. Garcez A et al. An Bras Dermatol. Sep-Oct 2020;95(5):664-6. doi: 10.1016/j.abd.2020.02.007.

2. Asadbeigi S, Momtahen S. Pigmented purpuric dermatosis. PathologyOutlines.com website.

3. Martínez P et al. Actas Dermosifiliogr (Engl Ed). 2020 Apr;111(3):196-204. doi: 10.1016/j.ad.2019.02.013.

4. Hoesly FJ et al. Int J Dermatol. 2009 Oct;48(10):1129-33. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-4632.2009.04160.x.

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