Painful bruising syndrome (also known as "autoerythrocyte sensitization", "Gardner–Diamond syndrome", and "psychogenic purpura") is an
idiopathic
An idiopathic disease is any disease with an unknown cause or mechanism of apparent wikt:spontaneous, spontaneous origin. From Ancient Greek, Greek ἴδιος ''idios'' "one's own" and πάθος ''pathos'' "suffering", ''idiopathy'' means approxi ...
trauma-induced condition seen in young to middle-aged women who sometimes manifest
personality disorder
Personality disorders (PD) are a class of mental disorders characterized by enduring maladaptive patterns of behavior, cognition, and inner experience, exhibited across many contexts and deviating from those accepted by the individual's culture ...
s.
It is characterized by a distinctive localized
purpuric
Purpura () is a condition of red or purple discolored spots on the skin that do not blanch on applying pressure. The spots are caused by bleeding underneath the skin secondary to platelet disorders, vascular disorders, coagulation disorders, ...
reaction occurring primarily on the legs, face and trunk, with recurring painful
ecchymoses
A bruise, also known as a contusion, is a type of hematoma of tissue, the most common cause being capillaries damaged by trauma, causing localized bleeding that extravasates into the surrounding interstitial tissues. Most bruises occur close e ...
variably accompanied by
syncope,
nausea
Nausea is a diffuse sensation of unease and discomfort, sometimes perceived as an urge to vomit. While not painful, it can be a debilitating symptom if prolonged and has been described as placing discomfort on the chest, abdomen, or back of the ...
,
vomiting
Vomiting (also known as emesis and throwing up) is the involuntary, forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the Human nose, nose.
Vomiting can be the result of ailments like Food-poisoning, foo ...
, gastrointestinal and intracranial bleeding.
Patients with this condition can experience frequent painful bruising around joints and muscles. Because of the rarity of the disorder, there are few methods of support in place for patients.
Many patients are labelled with the stigma of having a psychological condition without this having a specifically proven link. There have been cases of painful bruising syndrome reported where there are no additional psychological disorders. This has been known to be put into remission with chemotherapy. It was characterized in 1955 by Frank Gardner and
Louis Diamond
Louis Klein Diamond ( yi, לאָויס קלעין דיאַמאָנד; May 11, 1902 – June 14, 1999) was an American pediatrician, known as the "father of pediatric hematology."
Early life and career
Diamond was born in Chişinău, Bessarab ...
.
Patient may present with a history of intermittent purpura mostly precipitated by stress.
See also
*
List of cutaneous conditions
Many skin conditions affect the human integumentary system—the organ system covering the entire surface of the body and composed of skin, hair, nails, and related muscle and glands. The major function of this system is as a barrier against t ...
References
Further reading
*Panconesi, E., & Hautmann, G. (1995). ''Stress, Stigmatization and Psychosomatic Purpuras''. International Angiology 14: 130–137.
*Yuecel, B., Kiziltan, E., & Aktan, M. (2000). ''Dissociative Identity Disorder Presenting With Psychogenic Purpura''. Psychosomatics 41: 279–281.
External links
Vascular-related cutaneous conditions
Syndromes affecting the skin
Syndromes in females
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