Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Mar 8;317(1):541.
doi: 10.1007/s00403-025-04002-7.

Preliminary study on assessing skin changes in Henoch-Schönlein purpura patients using high-frequency ultrasound and shear wave elastograph

Fangtong Teng #  1 , Dongmei Huang #  1 , Hongyan Cui  2
Affiliations

Preliminary study on assessing skin changes in Henoch-Schönlein purpura patients using high-frequency ultrasound and shear wave elastograph

Fangtong Teng et al. Arch Dermatol Res. .

Abstract

Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) is a prevalent allergic vasculitis. We aimed to investigate the characteristics of skin lesions and assess the degree of the skin damage in HSP patients using high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) and shear wave elastography (SWE). By leveraging these imaging modalities, we sought to provide an objective and quantitative method for the clinical assessment of HSP, offering valuable insights for the evaluation and management of this condition. Thirty patients diagnosed with HSP were included in the study group (Group B). Among them, patients were further categorized into three subgroups based on the timing of evaluation: Group B1 consisted of patients at the time of admission, Group B2 included patients at the time of discharge, and Group B3 comprised patients at the time of discontinuation of treatment. The control group (Group A) consisted of 30 healthy individuals from the Health Management Center. General clinical data were systematically gathered from both groups. 20 MHz HFUS and SWE were used to assess the thickness and stiffness of the dermis and hypodermis on the left anterior tibial skin of both groups. Laboratory parameters, including WBC, CRP, ESR, and IgE, were documented for the case group, and their correlations with MEmean, MEmax, and MEmin were analyzed. It was found that compared to Group A, the thickness and stiffness of the dermis and hypodermis were significantly increased in the Groups B1 and B2, with dermal stiffness also increased in the Group B3 (all P < 0.05). However, no significant differences were observed in the thickness of the dermis and hypodermis, as well as in the stiffness of hypodermal between the Group B3 and Group A (all P > 0.05). This study showed that the overall skin thickness and stiffness of HSP lesions increased compared to group A. HFUS and SWE can monitor the clinical efficacy of HSP and quantitatively assess the extent of skin involvement in HSP patients, providing clinicians with a precise ultrasound basis for more objective evaluation of treatment outcomes.

Keywords: Henoch-Schönlein Purpura; High-frequency ultrasound; Shear Wave Elastography; Ultrasound examination.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethical approval: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University (Ethical Approval No. KY2024-208-01). Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

References

    1. Leung AKC, Barankin B, Leong KF (2020) Henoch-Schönlein Purpura in Children: an updated review. Curr Pediatr Rev 16(4):265–276. https://doi.org/10.2174/1573396316666200508104708
    1. Harris BW, Maxfield L, Hunter A, Alhajj M, Ban B, Pulsipher KJ(2024)Worldwide distribution and extracutaneous manifestations of Henoch-Schönlein Purpura in adults. Narrative Rev JMIR Dermatol, 7: e49746. https://doi.org/10.2196/49746
    1. Chen O, Zhu XB, Ren P, Wang YB, Sun RP, Wei DE (2013) Henoch Schonlein Purpura in children: clinical analysis of 120 cases. Afr Health Sci 13(1):94–99. https://doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v13i1.26 - DOI - PubMed - PMC
    1. Zhang B, Wang W, Fan S (2001) Clinical analysis of 575 cases with henoch-schönlein purpura. Chin J Pediatr 39(11):9–12. https://doi.org/http://doi.org/ https://doi.org/10.3760/cma.j.issn.0578-1310.2001.11.105 - DOI
    1. Rhim JW, Lee YT, Kang HM, Suh JS, Lee KY (2019) Changes in clinical features in Henoch-Schönlein purpura during three decades: an observational study at a single hospital in Korea. Clin Rheumatol 38(10):2811–2818. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-019-04628-9

LinkOut - more resources