Purpura (patient information)

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Editor-in-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S.,M.D. [mailto:mgibson@perfuse.org] Phone:617-632-7753; Associate Editor-In-Chief: Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan, M.B.B.S.

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

What causes Purpura?

 * 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


 * 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

When to seek urgent medical care?
Call your doctor for an appointment if you have signs of purpura.

Diagnosis

 * Your doctor will examine your skin and ask you questions about your medical history and symptoms, including:
 * Is this the first time you have had such spots?
 * When did they develop?
 * What color are they?
 * Do they look like bruises?
 * What medications do you take?
 * What other medical problems have you had?
 * Does anyone in your family have similar spots?
 * What other symptoms do you have?


 * A skin biopsy may be done.

Diseases with similar symptoms

 * 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).

Where to find medical care for Purpura?
Directions to Hospitals Treating Purpura

Source
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003232.htm