Purpura

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Henoch-Schonlein purpura on an infant's foot	Henoch-Schonlein purpura on an infant's legs	Henoch-Schonlein purpura on an infant's legs	Henoch-Schonlein purpura on the legs
Henoch-Schonlein purpura on the lower legs	Meningococcemia associated purpura	Meningococcemia on the calves	Meningococcemia on the leg
Rocky mountain spotted fever on the foot

Purpura is purple-colored spots and patches that occur on the skin, organs, and in mucus membranes, including the lining of the mouth.

Blood spots; Skin hemorrhages

Purpura occurs when small blood vessels under the skin leak.

When purpura spots are very small, they are called petechiae. Large purpura are called ecchymoses.

Platelets help the blood clot. A person with purpura may have normal platelet counts (nonthrombocytopenic purpuras) or decreased platelet counts (thrombocytopenic purpuras).

Nonthrombocytopenic purpuras may be due to:

• Congenital cytomegalovirus
• Congenital rubella syndrome
• Drugs that affect platelet function
• Fragile blood vessels (senile purpura)
• Pressure changes that occur during vaginal childbirth
• Inflammation of the blood vessels (vasculitis), such as Henoch-Schonlein purpura

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Thrombocytopenic purpura may be due to:

• Drugs that prevent platelets from forming
• Hemangioma
• Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
• Immune neonatal thrombocytopenia (can occur in infants whose mothers have ITP)
• Meningococcemia

Review Date: 04/17/2009
Reviewed By: Michael Lehrer, MD, Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).