MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Purpura

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Purpura

Contents of this page:
Illustrations Alternative names Definition Considerations	Common Causes Call your health care provider if What to expect at your health care provider's office

Illustrations

Henoch-Schonlein purpura on the lower legs

Henoch-Schonlein purpura on an infant's foot

Henoch-Schonlein purpura on an infant's legs

Henoch-Schonlein purpura on the legs

Meningococcemia on the calves

Meningococcemia on the leg

Rocky mountain spotted fever on the foot

Meningococcemia associated purpura

Alternative names Return to top

Blood spots; Skin hemorrhages

Definition Return to top

Purplish discolorations in the skin produced by small bleeding vessels near the surface of the skin. Purpura may also occur in the mucous membranes (such as the lining of the mouth) and in the internal organs.

Considerations Return to top

Purpura by itself is only a sign of other underlying causes of bleeding.

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

Purpura may occur with either normal platelet counts (nonthrombocytopenic purpuras) or decreased platelet counts (thrombocytopenic purpuras). Platelets help maintain the integrity of the capillary lining and are important in the clotting process.

Common Causes Return to top

Conditions that cause purpura are grouped into two categories: nonthrombocytopenic and thrombocytopenic. Some common purpuras include:

NONTHROMBOCYTOPENIC PURPURAS

pressure changes associated with vaginal delivery of an infant
vasculitis such as Henoch-Schonlein purpura (anaphylactoid purpura)
congenital cytomegalovirus
congenital rubella syndrome (changes in the baby that can occur when a pregnant woman has rubella)
drug-induced platelet dysfunction (some drugs can affect the action of platelets)
senile purpura (the blood vessels become more fragile as a person ages)

THROMBOCYTOPENIC PURPURAS

idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
immune neonatal thrombocytopenia (a disorder that can occur in infants whose mothers have ITP)
platelet consumption in hemangioma
drug-induced thrombocytopenia (some drugs can prevent the formation of platelets)
meningococcemia (an infection caused by meningococcus bacteria)

Call your health care provider if Return to top

Any new purpura should be brought to your physician's attention.

What to expect at your health care provider's office Return to top

The medical history will be obtained and a physical examination performed.

Medical history questions documenting purpura may include:

time pattern
- Is this the first time you have had spots such as these?
- When did they develop?
type
- Petechiae (small purplish or reddish dots)?
- Ecchymoses (look like bruises)?
other
- What medications are being taken?
- What other medical problems have you had?
- Does anyone in your family have similar spots?
- What other symptoms are also present?

Update Date: 8/15/2003

Updated by: Michael Lehrer, M.D., Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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