Schönlein-Henoch Syndrome Associated With Exposure to Cold

The terms Schönlein-Henoch syndrome or anaphylactoid purpura have been applied to a specific acquired hemorrhagic disorder without abnormalities of the clotting mechanism or evidence of thrombocytopenia. This syndrome is characterized by a generalized vasculitis involving multiple organ systems.1The etiology and pathogenesis of this syndrome are unknown, though rare cases are associated with food allergy and drugs,2,3or insect bite.4The demonstration of granular and nodular deposits of IgG and β1C globulin located primarily in the mesangium and to a lesser degree on the basement membrane of glomeruli of patients with this syndrome5suggests an immune pathogenesis. Histologic and ultrastructural features of the glomerular lesions, including prominent deposition of platelets and fibrin in the capillary lumen5do not specifically distinguish anaphylactoid purpura from other forms of immune renal disease such as acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and Goodpasture's syndrome8; however, normal serum complement levels6-7help to distinguish anaphylactoid purpura