Leukocytoclastic vasculitis associated with bullous erysipelas

We report the case of'a 65-year-old women with history of noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and hyperparaproteinemia kappa (IgM) who was admitted to the Dermatology Department of Rabin Medical Center because of painful erythema of the left leg associated with high fever (39 °C), which developed approximately 2 weeks before admission, and purpuric lesions over the lower extremities, which developed approximately 3 days before admission. Biopsy obtained from one of the purpuric lesions revealed changes characteristic of leukocytoclastic vasculitis, and DIF from the purpura revealed perivascular precipitates of C3; antistreptolysin antibody titer was 1 :400. HBV, HCV serology, C3, C4, ANA and cryoglobulins were within normal limits. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report indicating an association between erysipelas and leukocytoclastic vasculitis.