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A retrospective descriptive review of children diagnosed with Henoch Schönlein purpura at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital over a 5-year period (2015-2019)
Background: IgA vasculitis, formerly known as Henoch-Schönlein Purpura, is the most common primary vasculitis in childhood. The prevalence, variation in clinical features, and outcomes of IgA vasculitis in low-to-middle income countries are poorly understood, due to a lack of published research. Thi...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
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Department of Paediatrics and Child Health
2026
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| _version_ | 1867613184903348224 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Makhewarene, Mpho Melinkhov |
| author2 | Buys, Heloise |
| author_browse | Buys, Heloise Makhewarene, Mpho Melinkhov |
| author_facet | Buys, Heloise Makhewarene, Mpho Melinkhov |
| author_sort | Makhewarene, Mpho Melinkhov |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Background: IgA vasculitis, formerly known as Henoch-Schönlein Purpura, is the most common primary vasculitis in childhood. The prevalence, variation in clinical features, and outcomes of IgA vasculitis in low-to-middle income countries are poorly understood, due to a lack of published research. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive description of IgA vasculitis cases encountered at a South African children's hospital. Methods: A retrospective folder review of all children with a discharge diagnosis of IgA vasculitis at (RCWMCH) a tertiary children's hospital between January 2015 and December 2019 was performed. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, management and short-term outcomes were summarised; conventional descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used to analyse the dataset. Results: Forty-nine children were eligible for inclusion in the analysis, mean age was 6 years and 5 months, male-to-female ratio was 1:1. Rash was the presenting symptom in 48 (97%) children; arthralgia 41 (84%), abdominal pain 18 (37%); oedema manifested as scrotal oedema in 1 (2%) and angioedema in three (6%) children. Kidney involvement was evident in twenty-five (51%) children with proteinuria and or haematuria, while isolated microscopic haematuria occurred in six (12%). Complications were infrequent, five (10%) patients had IgA nephritis on biopsy and one (2%) had a gastrointestinal bleed. The mean length of hospital stay was 1.6 (SD 2) days. At one year of followup, two (4%) children had persistent proteinuria and only one patient (2%) still had haematuria. Conclusion: The clinical course of IgA vasculitis in this cohort of South African children was mostly self-limiting, consistent with international literature. However, patients with persistent haematuria or proteinuria require longer-term follow-up. Collaborative studies within South Africa and subSaharan Africa may provide a more accurate picture of the epidemiology of childhood HSP and its complication rates. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/43145 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | English eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:32:07.214Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Department of Paediatrics and Child Health |
| publisherStr | Department of Paediatrics and Child Health |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/43145 A retrospective descriptive review of children diagnosed with Henoch Schönlein purpura at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital over a 5-year period (2015-2019) Makhewarene, Mpho Melinkhov Buys, Heloise McCulloch, Mignon Paediatrics and Child Health abdominal pain IgA Vasculitis Henoch Schönlein purpura HSP children proteinuria Africa Background: IgA vasculitis, formerly known as Henoch-Schönlein Purpura, is the most common primary vasculitis in childhood. The prevalence, variation in clinical features, and outcomes of IgA vasculitis in low-to-middle income countries are poorly understood, due to a lack of published research. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive description of IgA vasculitis cases encountered at a South African children's hospital. Methods: A retrospective folder review of all children with a discharge diagnosis of IgA vasculitis at (RCWMCH) a tertiary children's hospital between January 2015 and December 2019 was performed. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, management and short-term outcomes were summarised; conventional descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used to analyse the dataset. Results: Forty-nine children were eligible for inclusion in the analysis, mean age was 6 years and 5 months, male-to-female ratio was 1:1. Rash was the presenting symptom in 48 (97%) children; arthralgia 41 (84%), abdominal pain 18 (37%); oedema manifested as scrotal oedema in 1 (2%) and angioedema in three (6%) children. Kidney involvement was evident in twenty-five (51%) children with proteinuria and or haematuria, while isolated microscopic haematuria occurred in six (12%). Complications were infrequent, five (10%) patients had IgA nephritis on biopsy and one (2%) had a gastrointestinal bleed. The mean length of hospital stay was 1.6 (SD 2) days. At one year of followup, two (4%) children had persistent proteinuria and only one patient (2%) still had haematuria. Conclusion: The clinical course of IgA vasculitis in this cohort of South African children was mostly self-limiting, consistent with international literature. However, patients with persistent haematuria or proteinuria require longer-term follow-up. Collaborative studies within South Africa and subSaharan Africa may provide a more accurate picture of the epidemiology of childhood HSP and its complication rates. 2026-04-28T13:53:03Z 2026-04-28T13:53:03Z 2023 2026-04-28T13:45:52Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters Masters http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43145 en eng application/pdf Department of Paediatrics and Child Health Faculty of Health Sciences University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Paediatrics and Child Health abdominal pain IgA Vasculitis Henoch Schönlein purpura HSP children proteinuria Africa Makhewarene, Mpho Melinkhov A retrospective descriptive review of children diagnosed with Henoch Schönlein purpura at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital over a 5-year period (2015-2019) |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | A retrospective descriptive review of children diagnosed with Henoch Schönlein purpura at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital over a 5-year period (2015-2019) |
| title_full | A retrospective descriptive review of children diagnosed with Henoch Schönlein purpura at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital over a 5-year period (2015-2019) |
| title_fullStr | A retrospective descriptive review of children diagnosed with Henoch Schönlein purpura at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital over a 5-year period (2015-2019) |
| title_full_unstemmed | A retrospective descriptive review of children diagnosed with Henoch Schönlein purpura at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital over a 5-year period (2015-2019) |
| title_short | A retrospective descriptive review of children diagnosed with Henoch Schönlein purpura at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital over a 5-year period (2015-2019) |
| title_sort | retrospective descriptive review of children diagnosed with henoch schonlein purpura at red cross war memorial children s hospital over a 5 year period 2015 2019 |
| topic | Paediatrics and Child Health abdominal pain IgA Vasculitis Henoch Schönlein purpura HSP children proteinuria Africa |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43145 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT makhewarenemphomelinkhov aretrospectivedescriptivereviewofchildrendiagnosedwithhenochschonleinpurpuraatredcrosswarmemorialchildrenshospitalovera5yearperiod20152019 AT makhewarenemphomelinkhov retrospectivedescriptivereviewofchildrendiagnosedwithhenochschonleinpurpuraatredcrosswarmemorialchildrenshospitalovera5yearperiod20152019 |