Cutaneous lymphocytic vasculitis in acute myeloid leukaemia.

We report a 63-year-old woman who presented with an 8-week history of widespread indurated, purpuric lesions associated with weight loss of 7 kg and several episodes of epistaxis. A skin biopsy demonstrated a lymphocytic vasculitis with haemorrhage and parakeratosis. A blood film and bone marrow examination showed features of a myelodysplastic syndrome in transformation to acute myeloid leukaemia. Leucocytoclastic vasculitis and polyarteritis nodosa occur in association with acute myeloid leukaemia, but the association with lymphocytic vasculitis is new.