Vasculitis after blood pressure monitoring.

Introduction: Description of appearance of ecchymosis on an arm, simultaneously with a classical Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis, the proposal of alternative utilities of measuring blood pressure, and the study of side effects to that measure.

Patient: Case 80-year-old male came to ER with dyspnea, heart failure, predialysis renal failure with hyperkalemia and hemodynamic instability. During his stay he developed a skin lesion that looks like palpable purpura, from the lower limit of the blood pressure cuff to the distal area of the hand that not disappeared with vitropression, and pruritus. During admission the arm injury was extended to all members, both upper and lower.

Results: The study concluded with diagnosis of Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis given the presence of eosinophils, that which suggested probable drug etiology to an antibiotic that had been taken since seven days prior to admission to ER.

Discusion: The need for serial monitoring of blood pressure, and the duration of such monitoring in unstable patients considering the side effects of those techniques was questioned. In addition, the study of other utilities of measuring blood pressure.