Secondary erythermalgia associated with an autoimmune disorder of undetermined significance

A 50-year-old female patient is described with an acquired, persisting and yet incurable erythermalgia featured by symmetric burning pain and red congestion of the extremities secondary to cutaneous vasculitis. A weakly positive antinuclear antibody titer and high titers of antibodies against gastric parietal mucosa cells pointed to an underlying but unclassifiable autoimmune disorder. It is concluded that histopathology of lesional skin contributes to the differential diagnosis of primary and secondary erythermalgia.