Cutaneous rheumatoid vasculitis

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis is a multisystem disease, with many clinical forms bearing close resemblance to systemic lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis or polyarteritis nodosa. Although the involvement of the integument is not as disabiling as the joint disease, the extent of disability may be of sufficient magnitude to necessitate therapeutic intervention. Two patients are presented whose skin involvement was suggestive of cutaneous angiitis and who responded dramatically to treatment using sulfasalazine.