Acute Hemorrhagic Infancy of Edema: A Purpuric Rash in 6-Month-Old Infant

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Pareen Shah, Emory University; Katherine McGlamry, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta; Amit Thakral, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2021-01-01
• Publisher: SAGE Publishing
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2021 American Federation for Medical Research
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/23247096211017413
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Journal of Investigative Medicine High Impact Case Reports
• Volume: 9
• Start Page: 23247096211017413
• End Page: 23247096211017413
• Grant/Funding Information: The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
• Keywords: pediatric; edema; Acute Disease; Humans; Purpura; Edema; autoimmune; Infant; Exanthema; Male; Vasculitis, Leukocytoclastic, Cutaneous; rash
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery

Abstract

Acute hemorrhagic edema of infancy (AHEI) is a cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis presenting with purpura, ecchymosis, fever, and edema. Pediatricians must effectively differentiate AHEI from other diseases that have similar presentations but are more severe in order to treat appropriately without overutilizing expensive, unnecessary diagnostic tests. In this article, we describe a case of a 6-month-old previously well male who presented to our institution with a worsening rash and fever. In this case, the patient’s age and benign clinical manifestations without systemic involvement favored the diagnosis of AHEI over more serious conditions. This case is a valuable example of the clinical findings of AHEI and the effectiveness of conservative therapy once a diagnosis is made for pediatricians, especially emergency and urgent care physicians.