Lymphocytic Vasculitis : Classification of 127 cases

Aim: Lymphocytic vasculitis is a morphological term which includes clinically heterogenous diseases like connective tissue disease, infection, lichenoid diseases, drug reaction, Behçet’s disease, superficial thrombophlebitis and leukemic vasculitis. There are three forms of lymphocytic vasculitis : angiodestructive form, lichenoid lymphocytic vasculitis and lymphocytic endovasculitis. There is a need to classify the diseases with the pathologic diagnosis of lymphocytic vasculitis. Materials and Methods: In this study, 127 cases of lymphocytic vasculitis diagnosed between 2001-2013 were classified according to the clinical setting. The histopathological diagnosis was given to the lesions with angiotropism/diapedesis by lymphocytes, erythrocyte extravasation and swelling of endothelial cells, with/without fibrinoid necrosis of the vessel wall. Results: Clinical diagnoses were collagen vascular disease (CVD, n=25; including 6 dermatomyositis, 2 chillblain lupus, 2 morphea), urticarial/leukocytoclastic vasculitis (n=16), pitriazis lichenoides (n=15), drug reaction (n=9), Behçet's disease (n=8), figurate erythema (n=8), panniculitis (n=8), lichen planus (n=7), erythema multiforme (n=6), pigmented purpuric dermatitis (n=5), PUPPP (n=4), Gianotti-Crosti syndrome (n=4), FMF (n=3), spongiotic dermatitis (n=3), arthropod bite (n=2) and 4 other dermatoses. Conclusions: Lymphocytic vasculitis is believed by some to be the late manifestation of LCV or a non-specific feature but some dermatoses without the characteristic defining pathologic criteria can be diagnosed by this finding. Finding lymphocytic vasculitis in CVD can be a hint for the endothelial cells to be a target, too.