Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP)

Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP), also known as anaphylactoid purpura, causes small blood vessels in your body, including those in the skin, stomach and kidneys, to become swollen and leak. One of the most obvious and common signs of this disease is a rash on the skin that looks like purple or red dots. Other signs of HSP are stomach pain and arthritis. HSP happens more in children than in adults, and it can become active in flare-ups throughout the course of your life.

There is no medicine to treat HSP, and treatments for the disease involve treating the symptoms, like the swelling, stomach pain and arthritis. Most people recover fully from HSP without complications, but in time it can lead to chronic kidney disease and kidney failure.

For more information, visit:

• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH)
• Vasculitis Foundation
• The Johns Hopkins Vasculitis Center