Henoch-Schonlein purpura: clinical manifestations and long-term outcomes in Thai children.

The clinical features of 47 children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) are presented. The most common ages at presentation ranged from 3-5 years. Duration of data collection was 60 months. The peak incidence was from December to February. The organ involvements included skin (100%), gastrointestinal tract (74.5%), renal (46.8%) and joint (42.6%). Renal involvement was detected within the first 2 months in 16 cases (72.7%) but was delayed until 6 months after diagnosis in 6 cases. No risk factors for renal involvement could be identified. The mean duration of follow-up was 2.6 years (range 1-5 years). Six out of 16 (37.5%) patients had residual renal diseases but none were end stage. Recurrent episodes of abdominal pain and skin purpura were found in a few cases during the first year. Overall prognosis of HSP is good and long-term morbidity is predominantly associated with renal involvement. Patients with initially normal urinalysis should have sequential urinary examination at least for 6 months.