Henoch–Schonlein purpura as a complication of a myelodysplastic syndrome.

Henoch–Schonlein purpura (HSP) is considered as a small blood vessel systemic vasculitis. We describe a 78-year-old female, known to suffer from a myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), who developed HSP with renal involvement. The ensuing decline in kidney function progressed to the point where the patient required dialysis. Surprisingly, renal biopsy did not show crescentic glomerulonephritis. MDS, essentially a hematological disorder of the elderly, has been associated with various autoimmune diseases including vasculitis, predominantly cutaneous. Our patient, however, is only the third reported in whom the combination of MDS with HSP was found. The occurrence of HSP in our patient with underlying MDS may represent a paraneoplastic phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]