National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Pigmented purpuric dermatosis


Other Names:
Schamberg disease; Familial pigmented purpuric eruption; Schamberg purpura; Schamberg disease; Familial pigmented purpuric eruption; Schamberg purpura; Pigmented purpura; Progressive pigmented purpura; Pigmented purpuric eruption See More
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Pigmented purpuric dermatosis is a chronic condition characterized by reddish-brown skin lesions caused by leaky capillaries. Although they can arise on any part of the body, they are most commonly located on the lower legs.[1][2] In some cases, the skin lesions cause severe itching. The skin lesions may spread over time, or clear up on their own.[1] The cause of pigmented purpuric dermatosis is unknown. While treatment may not be necessary, topical steroids may help control itching. Other options for management include compression stockings, oral medications, and phototherapy.[1][2]
Last updated: 10/5/2016
The main features of pigmented purpuric dermatosis (PPD) are petechiae (tiny red spots due to broken blood vessels) or purpura (purple-colored spots or patches due to broken blood vessels), and yellow to brown pigmented patches. The most common sites are the legs, although lesions also may develop in other areas. Infrequently, PPD manifests as a generalized rash. The palms of the hands, soles of the feet, genitalia, and mucosa typically are not affected. Depending on the type of PPD a person has, additional signs and symptoms may include red-brown patches, plaques, linear lesions, itching, and/or other features. In general, PPD does not cause serious health problems but is a chronic condition. Signs and symptoms may persist, wax and wane, or slowly progress, and may go away over a period of months to years.[3]
Last updated: 10/21/2019

This table lists symptoms that people with this disease may have. For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. People with the same disease may not have all the symptoms listed. This information comes from a database called the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) . The HPO collects information on symptoms that have been described in medical resources. The HPO is updated regularly. Use the HPO ID to access more in-depth information about a symptom.

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Medical Terms Other Names
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HPO ID
Percent of people who have these symptoms is not available through HPO
Abnormality of the skin 0000951
Autosomal dominant inheritance 0000006
Neonatal onset 0003623
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Last updated: 7/1/2020
The cause of pigmented purpuric dermatosis is unknown.[1][2] Occasionally, it occurs as a reaction to a medication, food additive, viral infection or following exercise.[2] In rare cases, there appears to be a genetic component.[1]


Last updated: 10/5/2016
If the condition is mild, treatment may not be necessary. For those who suffer from itching, topical steroids and antihistamines may be useful. Compression stockings may be used if the lower legs are affected.[1][2] Additional treatments that have been successful in limited studies include pentoxifylline,[4] aminaphtone,[5] photochemotherapy (PUVA)[6], griseofulvin, oral cyclosporin, and ascorbic acid with rutoside.[7]
Last updated: 10/5/2016

If you need medical advice, you can look for doctors or other healthcare professionals who have experience with this disease. You may find these specialists through advocacy organizations, clinical trials, or articles published in medical journals. You may also want to contact a university or tertiary medical center in your area, because these centers tend to see more complex cases and have the latest technology and treatments.

If you can’t find a specialist in your local area, try contacting national or international specialists. They may be able to refer you to someone they know through conferences or research efforts. Some specialists may be willing to consult with you or your local doctors over the phone or by email if you can't travel to them for care.

You can find more tips in our guide, How to Find a Disease Specialist. We also encourage you to explore the rest of this page to find resources that can help you find specialists.

Healthcare Resources

Research helps us better understand diseases and can lead to advances in diagnosis and treatment. This section provides resources to help you learn about medical research and ways to get involved.

Clinical Research Resources

  • The Centers for Mendelian Genomics program is working to discover the causes of rare genetic disorders. For more information about applying to the research study, please visit their website.

These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

Where to Start

  • DermNet NZ is an online resource about skin diseases developed by the New Zealand Dermatological Society Incorporated. DermNet NZ provides information about this condition.

In-Depth Information

  • Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.
  • The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.
  • Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a catalog of human genes and genetic disorders. Each entry has a summary of related medical articles. It is meant for health care professionals and researchers. OMIM is maintained by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Pigmented purpuric dermatosis. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.

Questions sent to GARD may be posted here if the information could be helpful to others. We remove all identifying information when posting a question to protect your privacy. If you do not want your question posted, please let us know.

  1. Mehregan D. Pigmented Purpuric Dermatitis. eMedicine Journal. March 31, 2016; http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1084594-overview.
  2. Capillaritis. DermNet New Zealand. January 2016; http://www.dermnetnz.org/topics/capillaritis/.
  3. Garg A. Pigmented purpuric dermatoses (capillaritis). UpToDate. Waltham, MA: UpToDate; September, 2019; https://www.uptodate.com/contents/pigmented-purpuric-dermatoses-capillaritis.
  4. Gandhi V, Singal A, Sachdeva B, Bhattacharya SN. Treatment of Schamberg's disease with pentoxifylline--therapeutic trial. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. Jan-Feb 2003; 69(1):25-26. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17642818.
  5. de Godoy JM, Batigália F. Aminaphtone in the control of Schamberg's disease. Thromb J. June 2009; 7:8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2703626/.
  6. Seckin D, Yazici Z, Senol A, Demircay Z. A case of Schamberg's disease responding dramatically to PUVA treatment. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed. April 2008; 24(2):95-96. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18353090.
  7. Schober SM, Peitsch WK, Bonsmann G, Metze D, Thomas K, Goerge T, Luger TA, Schneider SW. Early treatment with rutoside and ascorbic acid is highly effective for progressive pigmented purpuric dermatosis. J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. Dec 2014; 12(12):1112-9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25482694.