We describe a patient who presented with constitutional symptoms, severe hypertension, and purpuric lesions over the knees, thighs, and penis. The patient was eventually diagnosed as having multiple endocrine neoplasia type II, with cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis. The cutaneous vasculitis persisted despite treatment with highdose systemic corticosteroids, but rapidly resolved after the removal of bilateral pheochromocytomas. This case demonstrates cutaneous leukocytmlastic vasculitis in association with pheochromocytoma.
Necrotizing vasculitis is a term used to describe the inflammation and necrosis of blood vessels that is seen in a broad spectrum of disorders. The hypersensitivity group of the necrotizing vasculitides is commonly encountered (1) and is characterized by small vessel involvement. Hypersensitivity vasculitis, or leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LV), as it is commonly called, has many potential etiologies (2). Among the possible causes of LV are drugs, infections, connective tissue disease, or on rare occasions, malignancy
(3). We describe a patient who had cutaneous LV in association with multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 11, and the LV was related, specifically, in our opinion, to bilateral pheochromocytomas. To our knowledge, this is the first report of LV associated with pheochromocytoma.