Hypocomplementemic urticarial vasculitis with polyadenopathies and renal involvement

Urticarial vasculitis (UV) is considered a clinicopathologic entity consisting of clinical manifestations of urticaria and histopathological evidence of cutaneous small vessels leukocytoclastic vasculitis. Based on complement levels and presence or absence of specific systemic findings, there are 2 distinct diagnostic entities: hypocomplementemic urticarial vasculitis syndrome and hypocomplementemic urticarial vasculitis. We present a 52-year-old man admitted to our hospital for general weakness with arthralgia in both hands, without arthritis signs and purpuric skin injuries in both legs. Two years before, he had been diagnosed with recurrent urticaria and treated with antihistaminics. Laboratory exams showed dysmorphic hematies in urinalysis, hypocomplementemia, proteinuria in the nephrotic range and polyadenopathies. Kidney biopsy was made showing as result a membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis.