<clinical sign, dermatology> A small haemorrhage (up to about 1 cm in diameter) in the skin, mucous membrane or serosal surface, which may be caused by various factors, including blood disorders, vascular abnormalities and trauma.
Purpuric lesions may be associated with inflammation, in which case they present as papular purpura or the haemorrhage may not be accompanied by inflammation, in which case they are macular.
The term also comprises a group of haemorrhagic diseases characterised by the presence of purpuric lesions, ecchymoses and a tendency to bruise easily, which may be caused by decreased platelet counts, the presence of abnormal platelets, vascular defects or reactions to certain drugs.
(15 Dec 1997)
| Purpura Classification and external resources |
|
 |
|
|---|---|
| ICD-10 |
D69. |
| ICD-9 | 287 |
| DiseasesDB | 25619 |
| MeSH | D011693 |
Purpura (from the Latin, purpura, meaning "purple") is the appearance of red or purple discolorations on the skin that do not blanch on applying pressure. They are caused by bleeding underneath the skin. Purpura measure 0.3-1cm, while Petechia
This is common with typhus and can be present with meningitis caused by meningococcal meningitis or septicaemia.
Purpura is a common and unspecific medical sign, however the underlying mechanism commonly involves one of the following:
There are also cases of psychogenic purpura described in the medical literature,[2] some claimed to be due to "autoerythrocyte sensitization." Other studies[3] suggest, that local (cutaneous) activity of tPA can be increased in psychogenic purpura, leading to substantial amounts of localized plasmin activity, rapid degradation of fibrin clots, and resultant bleeding. Petechial rash is also characteristic of a rickettsial infection.
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