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Course: Painful Palmar and Plantar Purpura

CME Credits: 1.00

Released: 2021-06-30

A man in his 50s presented with painful palmar and plantar purpura that lasted for 2 months (Figure, A). The lesions first appeared on the volar aspect of the left hand and resolved spontaneously within a few days. However, the purpura soon relapsed on the left plantar area. Oral administration of aspirin and limaprost alfadex was ineffective, and the purpura spread on the palms and feet, followed by onset of left hemiplegia with dysarthria. The patient had no history of arterial or coronary catheterization, hyperlipidemia, hepatitis, nor endocrine neoplasia. The patient’s body temperature and laboratory test results, including inflammatory markers, were slightly elevated. Autoimmune blood tests, including antinuclear antibody, anticardiolipin antibody, and lupus anticoagulant, were not detected. Lentiginosis was not evident. A skin biopsy of the purpura of the left plantar area was conducted (Figure, B).


Educational Objective
Based on this clinical scenario and the accompanying image, understand how to arrive at a correct diagnosis.


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