Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffFor most people, symptoms of Henoch-Schonlein purpura improve in a few weeks, leaving no lasting problems. Recurrences are fairly common, however. Children who have severe symptoms appear more likely to have a recurrence, but repeat bouts are usually milder than the initial episode.
Kidney damage
The most serious complication of Henoch-Schonlein purpura is kidney damage, which can cause blood in the urine, swelling and high blood pressure. Most children with kidney problems recover fully, but in a very small percentage of cases, Henoch-Schonlein purpura leads to end-stage kidney disease. In that case, dialysis or a kidney transplant may be needed. Adults are at greater risk than children of developing end-stage kidney disease.
The long-term outcome for people with Henoch-Schonlein purpura appears to depend on whether they develop kidney problems and how severe those problems are.
Bowel obstruction
In rare cases, Henoch-Schonlein purpura can cause a kind of bowel obstruction (intussusception) that reduces blood flow to the intestinal tract and leads to inflammation of other organs, including the pancreas.
Future pregnancies
Women who've had Henoch-Schonlein purpura during childhood may be at increased risk of high blood pressure during pregnancy. If you're pregnant and have a history of Henoch-Schonlein purpura, be sure to tell your doctor about it so that you can be monitored appropriately.
- McCarthy HJ, et al. Clinical practice: Diagnosis and management of Henoch-Schonlein purpura. European Journal of Pediatrics. 2010;169:643.
- Dedeoglu F, et al. Management of Henoch-Schonlein purpura. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 2, 2010.
- Dedeoglu F, et al. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of Henoch-Schonlein purpura. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Sept. 7, 2010.
- Gedalia A, et al. Systemic vasculitis in childhood. Current Rheumatology Reports. 2009;11:402.
- Henoch-Schonlein purpura. Vasculitis Foundation. http://www.vasculitisfoundation.org/HenochSchonleinpurpura. Accessed Sept. 7, 2010.
- Henoch-Schonlein Purpura. National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Clearinghouse. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/HSP. Accessed Sept. 7, 2010.
- Niaudet P, et al. Renal manifestations of Henoch-Schonlein purpura. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 7, 2010.
Find Mayo Clinic on