title: Multiple rheumatoid papules characteristic of the early stage of rheumatoid vasculitis.
abstract: The rheumatoid papule has recently been described as the skin manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The papules represent leukocytoclastic vasculitis and necrobiosis clinicopathologically. We report a 59-year-old Japanese woman with multiple recurrent rheumatoid papules located on the bilateral extensor forearms in correlation with the level of RA activity and as a cutaneous manifestation of rheumatoid vasculitis. These papules appeared prior to other cutaneous manifestations. It was suggested that rheumatoid papules represent the early stage of rheumatoid vasculitis and that they are a reliable early clinical marker of rheumatoid vasculitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Surugadai Nihon University Hospital, 1-8-13 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8309, Japan.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uchigasaki
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baba
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012218:Rheumatoid Nodule / Q000473:pathology; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D018366:Vasculitis, Leukocytoclastic, Cutaneous / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology