title: Painful rash and swelling of the limbs after recurrent infections in a teenager: polyarteritis nodosa.
abstract: Polyarteritis nodosa is a rare disease in childhood and adolescence that is difficult to diagnose clinically. We report on a 17-y-old girl presenting with a history of recurrent infections of the upper respiratory tract and conjunctivitis followed by a painful rash on the upper and lower extremities resembling erythema nodosum. The diagnosis of polyarteritis nodosa was proven by skin biopsy. Therapy with intravenous immunoglobulins failed, but with systemic steroids she responded promptly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Polyarteritis nodosa is a differential diagnosis in adolescents presenting with fever and an erythema nodosum-like rash.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Paediatrics, University Children's Hospital, Düsseldorf, Germany. aklusmann@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Klusmann
authors.forename: Mosaad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Megahed
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kruse
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Klaus G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Niehues
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004893:Erythema Nodosum / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007866:Leg / Q000473:pathology; D010488:Polyarteritis Nodosa / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012008:Recurrence; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D017211:Treatment Failure
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D011239:Prednisolone