eMedicine Specialties > Dermatology > Diseases of the Vessels

Actinic Purpura: Treatment & Medication

Author: Robert A Schwartz, MD, MPH, Professor and Head of Dermatology, Professor of Medicine, Professor of Pediatrics, Professor of Pathology, Professor of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School
Coauthor(s): Vinay Arya, MD, Staff Physician, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medicine; George Kihiczak, MD, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, New Jersey Medical School and University Hospital
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: May 12, 2008

Treatment

Medical Care

  • Actinic purpura does not require extensive medical care.
    • To prevent further ultraviolet-induced damage to the skin, sunscreens that provide both UV-A and UV-B protection should be applied daily, especially to areas affected by the purpuric lesions.
    • Patients should also use barrier protection (eg, clothing).
    • Inform patients that sunscreens help prevent but do not reverse the photodamage.
  • Tretinoin has been observed to reverse many changes that occur with photodamage.
    • The use of tretinoin may be beneficial in actinic purpura because photodamage is ultimately responsible for this disorder.
    • Tretinoin increases the amount of dermal collagen and decreases the amount of abnormal elastin when applied topically. However, to the authors' knowledge, no results demonstrate that actinic purpura lesions improve with the topical application of tretinoin.

Activity

  • Advise patients with actinic purpura to limit their sun exposure by applying sunscreen daily or by avoiding sun exposure altogether.
  • Instruct patients to minimize any trauma to the skin where the purpuric lesions are present.

More on Actinic Purpura

Overview: Actinic Purpura
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Actinic Purpura
Treatment & Medication: Actinic Purpura
Follow-up: Actinic Purpura
References
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References

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Further Reading

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Keywords

Bateman actinic purpura, solar purpura, senile purpura, ultraviolet radiation–induced skin changes, chronic sun exposure

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Robert A Schwartz, MD, MPH, Professor and Head of Dermatology, Professor of Medicine, Professor of Pediatrics, Professor of Pathology, Professor of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School
Robert A Schwartz, MD, MPH is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Dermatology, American College of Physicians, and Sigma Xi
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Vinay Arya, MD, Staff Physician, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medicine
Vinay Arya, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Sigma Xi
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

George Kihiczak, MD, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, New Jersey Medical School and University Hospital
George Kihiczak, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology, American Medical Association, and Medical Society of New Jersey
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Julie R Kenner, MD, PhD, Consultant, Clinical Research, Medical Affairs, VaxGen, Inc; Private Practice, Kenner Dermatology Center
Julie R Kenner, MD, PhD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology and American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

David F Butler, MD, Professor of Dermatology, Texas A&M University College of Medicine; Director, Division of Dermatology, Scott and White Clinic; Director Dermatology Residency Training Program, Scott and White Clinic
David F Butler, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Dermatology, American Medical Association, American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, American Society for MOHS Surgery, Association of Military Dermatologists, and Phi Beta Kappa
Disclosure: 3M Pharmaceutical Grant/research funds Other; Graceway Pharmaceuticals Grant/research funds Other

Managing Editor

Jeffrey J Miller, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, Penn State University, Milton S Hershey Medical Center
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Catherine Quirk, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, Brown University
Catherine Quirk, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha and American Academy of Dermatology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

William D James, MD, Paul R Gross Professor of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; Vice-Chair, Program Director, Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Health System
William D James, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology and Society for Investigative Dermatology
Disclosure: elsevier Royalty Other; american college of physicians Honoraria Other

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