Infantile Acute Hemorrhagic Edema of the Skin

Infantile acute hemorrhagic edema (AHE) of the skin is an uncommon form of cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis that occurs in children younger than 3 years. We describe a 10-month-old boy with AHE, in whom the disease appeared after antibiotic treatment for an acute respiratory illness. AHE presented with fever, acral edema, and rosette-shaped purpuric plaques on the face and limbs. The causes of AHE are unclear, as is its nosologic position. Some authors consider the disease as a purely cutaneous form of Henoch-Schönlein purpura, and others believe that AHE should be regarded as a distinct clinicobiologic entity within the spectrum of leukocytoclastic vasculitis.