skip to main content

IgA Vasculitis HSP — RACP Adult Medicine MCQ

Instant feedback + full explanation. One question, done properly.

EasyRheumatologyIgA Vasculitis HSPRACP Adult Medicine

A 5-year-old boy presents with palpable purpura on buttocks and lower limbs, colicky abdominal pain, bloody diarrhoea, arthralgia (knees and ankles), and microscopic haematuria. Platelet count is normal. Coagulation is normal. Serum IgA is elevated. What is the most likely diagnosis?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

Reveal the answer and explanation

Correct answer: D — IgA vasculitis (Henoch-Schönlein purpura)

Palpable purpura (lower limbs/buttocks), abdominal pain, arthralgia, and haematuria in a child with normal platelets and elevated IgA is IgA vasculitis (HSP). The classic tetrad: purpura, arthralgia, abdominal pain, renal involvement. Self-limiting in most children. Monitor urine for 6 months (5% develop CKD). Adult IgA vasculitis has worse renal prognosis. Renal biopsy if proteinuria >1 g/day or declining eGFR — shows IgA mesangial deposits (identical to IgA nephropathy).

Reference: EULAR – 2019 – IgA Vasculitis; eTG Rheumatology 2024