Urticarial vasculitis revealing immunolabelled nucleocapsid protein of SARS‐CoV‐2 in two Brazilian asymptomatic patients: the tip of the COVID‐19 hidden iceberg?

Abstract

Urticarial vasculitis (UV)\xa0presents with persistent urticarial lesions that resolve\xa0with residual hyperpigmentation and histopathologic features of\xa0leukocytoclastic\xa0vasculitis. Both\xa0acute urticarial lesions and exacerbation of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) were described associated with COVID-19.1-3 \xa0Reports\xa0of\xa0UV associated with\xa0SARS-CoV-2 infection/COVID-19\xa0are few\xa0and,\xa0to our knowledge,\xa0immunolabelled SARS-CoV-2 antigens in\xa0skin biopsies from\xa0UV\xa0under immunohistochemistry\xa0have never been demonstrated.4,5.