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 Jul 2;17(7):e87177.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.87177. eCollection 2025 Jul.

A Propensity-Matched Cohort Study Assessing Neuropathy in Patients With Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis

Kritin K Verma  1 , Sezim Minbaeva  1 , Orson T Robertson  1 , Ryan Koch  2 , Daniel P Friedmann  3 , Denise C Robson  4 , Jonathan Aldrete  4 , Michelle Tarbox  4
Affiliations

A Propensity-Matched Cohort Study Assessing Neuropathy in Patients With Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis

Kritin K Verma et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Objective The objective of this study was to examine the potential relationship between leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LCV), a small-vessel vasculitis, and neuropathy. While LCV primarily affects the skin, its systemic involvement, including the development of neuropathy, has been increasingly recognized. This study aimed to assess whether LCV patients have a higher risk of developing neuropathy compared to a demographically matched control group. Materials and methods This retrospective cohort study utilized data from the TriNetX database (TriNetX, LLC, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA). A total of 4,519 patients diagnosed with LCV were matched with 4,519 control patients based on demographic factors such as age, sex, and race to ensure comparable baseline characteristics between groups. Neuropathy in both groups was identified using the ICD-10-CM diagnostic code G62.9. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the relative risk of neuropathy in LCV patients compared to the control group. Results The analysis revealed that 5.4% of LCV patients were diagnosed with neuropathy, while 4.6% of the control group were affected. This difference was statistically significant, with a relative risk (RR) of 1.209, indicating that LCV patients have a 20.9% higher risk of developing neuropathy than controls (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.009-1.448, p = 0.0396). These findings suggest that LCV may contribute to the development of neuropathy. Conclusion This study provides evidence supporting the association between LCV and an increased risk of neuropathy. The findings highlight the potential for systemic neurological complications in patients with LCV, which may be attributed to vasculitic damage to the nerve blood supply. Despite the challenges in diagnosing LCV-associated neuropathy, the study underscores the importance of vigilant monitoring for neurological symptoms in LCV patients.

Keywords: immune complex; leukocytoclastic vasculitis; neuropathy; risk ratio; systemic involvement.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Informed consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Leukocytoclastic vasculitis visualized on the anteromedial aspect of the right lower leg.
Image source: Original photograph contributed by Michelle Tarbox and Denise Robson (co-authors of this manuscript).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Hypersensitivity vasculitis. 2024. https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1083719-overview https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1083719-overview
    1. Leukocytoclastic vasculitis: a cutaneous expression of immune complex disease. Mackel SE, Jordon RE. Arch Dermatol. 1982;118:296–301. - PubMed
    1. Etiologies and prognostic factors of leukocytoclastic vasculitis with skin involvement: a retrospective study in 112 patients. Bouiller K, Audia S, Devilliers H, et al. Medicine (Baltimore) 2016;95:0. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Leukocytoclastic vasculitis associated with multifocal sensory neuropathy responsive to intravenous immunoglobulins: a case report. Ferranti M, Cama E, Cacciavillani M, Schiavon F, Felicetti M, Briani C, Alaibac M. Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis. 2021;38:0. - PMC - PubMed
    1. A case of tuberculosis-related leukocytoclastic vasculitis presenting with peripheral neuropathy. Rafiei N, Khanlou N, Khosa S, Moheb N, Mishra SK. Cureus. 2018;10:0. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources