Lymphocytic Thrombophilic Arteritis: A Review

Lymphocytic Thrombophilic Arteritis: A Case Report with a History of 67 Years

We report the case of a patient with Lymphocytic thrombophilic arteritis (LTA) with a history of 67 years. This is a relatively rare disease with no recognised guidelines for diagnosis and treatment. The long medical history from birth of this patient and the lack of positive progression may provide some new ideas for the treatment of this disease.

Cutaneous arteritis with intimal fibrin ring and immature myeloid cell infiltrate: lymphocytic thrombophilic arteritis or histiocytoid polyarteritis nodosa?

The ongoing debate on whether lymphocytic thrombophilic arteritis (LTA) is a separate disease or a type of polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) has yet to be settled. In this study, we analyzed the nature of infiltrating cells in LTA to resolve this controversy. Skin biopsies from five female patients (mean age 29.4 years, age range 16-45 years) diagnosed with LTA were immunostained for CD3, CD20, CD68, lysozyme, myeloid cell nuclear differentiation antigen, myeloperoxidase, and PU.1. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the majority of mononuclear cells in all five cases were not lymphocytes but myelomonocytic cells. Given that the infiltrating cells are of the myelomonocyte lineage including immature myeloid cells, PAN was deemed the more appropriate diagnosis for the five cases rather than LTA. Whether PAN with immature myeloid cells (histiocytoid PAN) is the same disease as conventional PAN with mature neutrophils requires further investigation.

Atypical pediatric presentation of lymphocytic thrombophilic arteritis: Diagnostic difficulties and recent nosological clarification

A 4-year-old girl presented with a 2-month history of round, hypopigmented, slightly scaly patches measuring 1-6 cm and encircled by an erythematous halo, first appearing on the lower limbs then spreading to the whole body. Three biopsies were taken as the condition progressed, each showing a lymphocytic infiltrate affecting a medium-sized artery at the dermal-subcutaneous junction, with a concentric fibrin ring. These findings are characteristic of lymphocytic thrombophilic arteritis (LTA). The young age of our patient and the type of skin lesions she developed make this an atypical presentation of LTA, which usually manifests as hyperpigmented macules on the lower extremities, predominantly in dark-skinned women.

Lymphocytic thrombophilic arteritis and cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa: Clinicopathologic comparison with blinded histologic assessment

BACKGROUND

Lymphocytic thrombophilic arteritis (LTA), or macular lymphocytic arteritis, is defined by a primary lymphocytic vasculitis. However, the nosology of LTA has been controversial, with speculation that it may represent an indolent non-nodule-forming variant of cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa (cPAN).

OBJECTIVE

This study compares the clinicopathologic features of patients with LTA or cPAN to assess if these conditions should be considered distinct entities.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study of all LTA and cPAN cases at a single tertiary center using prospectively collected clinical data and blinded histologic assessment.

RESULTS

The study included 17 patients with LTA and 13 patients with cPAN. Clinically, cases of LTA were distinguished by a more widespread pattern of livedo racemosa, which was noninfiltrated and asymptomatic. In contrast, cPAN was associated with localized starburst livedo, purpura, and episodic features including nodules, pain, and large inflammatory ulcers. When patients were separated according to the presence (>5%) or paucity (≤5%) of neutrophils on blinded histology review, they had distinct clinical features and differences in disease course.

LIMITATIONS

This was a single-center study.

CONCLUSION

Our data support the classification of LTA and cPAN as separate entities rather than a spectrum of the same disorder and highlight the importance of clinicopathologic correlation in distinguishing these conditions.