Diagnosis
Depending on the symptoms and the doctor being able to recognize the patterns, HSP can be diagnosed rather quickly. Blood tests may be issued to find evidence of inflammation, and there may be an increase in immunoglobulin A (IgA) present in the blood, but this is present in only a third of HSP patients. In the event a biopsy is ordered, the affected skin, bowel, or kidneys might show immunoglobulin A antibodies present in the tissues. However, even if IgA is not present in the biopsy, doctors will usually not rule out the possibility of the condition being Henoch-Schönlein Purpura. Should there be bowel-related symptoms, CT scans are often ordered to detect any bowel inflammation.
