Dermatological Lesions of Cholesterol Embolisation Syndrome and Kaposi Sarcoma Mimic Primary Systemic Vasculitis: Case report study

Abstract

Primary systemic vasculitis can present with a wide spectrum of manifestations ranging from systemic non-specific features such as fever, malaise, arthralgia and myalgia to specific organ damage. We describe two cases of cholesterol embolisation syndrome and Kaposi sarcoma mimicking primary systemic vasculitis, both of which were characterised by features such as livedo reticularis, blue toe syndrome, a brown purpuric skin rash and positive perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies associated with Kaposi sarcoma. Establishing the right diagnosis was challenging and thus this report aimed to highlight the possible ways to distinguish them from primary systemic vasculitis.

Keywords: Livedoid Vasculopathy; Cholesterol Embolisms; Blue Toe Syndrome; Kaposi Sarcoma; Cutaneous Vasculitis; Case Report; Saudi Arabia.