title: Eritema elevatum diutinum as a differential diagnosis of rheumatic diseases: case report.
abstract: Erythema elevatum diutinum is a chronic and rare cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis, characterized by red, purple and yellow papules, plaques and nodules, distributed symmetrically on the extensor surfaces of the limbs. It is associated with several autoimmune, neoplastic and infectious processes, mainly hematological malignancies in about 30% of the cases. Joint pain and arthritis are frequent symptoms, affecting approximately 40% of the patients, indicating the need for its inclusion in the differential diagnosis of rheumatic diseases, chiefly the other presentations of leukocytoclastic vasculitis, which are characterized by the combination of rheumatic manifestations and peculiar cutaneous lesions. We report the case of an 18-year-old female patient who developed erythema elevatum diutinum and whose diagnosis was based on the morphologic characteristics, the distribution pattern of the cutaneous lesions and the histopathological findings of leukocytoclastic vasculitis. The major systemic symptom was severe arthritis.
authors.affiliation: Dermatology and Rheumatology Services of the Hospital Universitário, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora – UFJF. dariojfr@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Dário Júnior de Freitas
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.forename: Ronaldo Figueiredo
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: Rafael de Oliveira
authors.initials: Rde O
authors.lastname: Fraga
authors.forename: Antônio Scafuto
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Scotton
authors.forename: Viviane Angelina
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fernandes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D018366:Vasculitis, Leukocytoclastic, Cutaneous / Q000473:pathology*