Abstract:OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical features of Henoch Schonlein purpura (HSP) in Chinese children. METHODS: The clinical features of 184 children with HSP were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: ① The age of onset of all the 184 children with HSP was over two years and the mean age was ( 7.8 ± 2.6 ) years. Of the 184 children, 67.4% developed HSP during the fall and winter months; 62.5% of the HSP patients revealed evident predisposing factors, mainly upper respiratory infection. ② Of all the patients, 89.1% had typical purpura as the presenting cutaneous sign. The distribution of rash in the lower extremities, buttock and upper extremities was 100%, 47.3% and 17.4% , respectively. Gastrointestinal involvement and arthritis occurred in 60.9% and 44.6% , respectively. Of all the patients, 52.2% developed HSP nephritis manifested as isolated hematuria and/or proteinuria ( 68.8% ) and the main pathological types were grade Ⅰ～Ⅲ ( 85.2% ). ③ Erythrocyte sedimentation increased in 44.0% of the patients; Antistreptolysin O titers (ASOT) and levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA) increased in 24.1% and 63.7% of the cases, respectively. The levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin M (IgM) and complements were normal in most patients. CONCLUSIONS: HSP in children has its own clinical and episodic features.
