Back To Classification Criteria

1. Palpable purpura

Slightly raised "palpable" hemorrhagic skin lesions, not related to thrombocytopenia

2. Age ≤20 at disease onset

Patient 20 years or younger at onset of first symptoms

3. Bowel angina

Diffuse abdominal pain, worse after meals, or the diagnosis of bowel ischemia, usually including bloody diarrhoea

4. Wall granulocytes on biopsy

Histologic changes showing granulocytes in the walls of arterioles or venules

* For purposes of classification, a patient shall be said to have Henoch-Schönlein purpura if at least 2 of these 4 criteria are present. The presence of any 2 or more criteria yields a sensitivity of 87.1% and a specificity of 87.7%.

Mills JA, Michel BA, Bloch DA, Calabrese LH, Hunder GG, Arend WP, et al. The American College of Rheumatology 1990 criteria for the classification of Henoch-Schönlein purpura. Arthritis Rheum 1990;33:1114---21.