Capillaritis is where the capillaries, usually of the legs or lungs, are inflamed.

It may occur in the lungs as pulmonary capillaritis, or in the skin as pigmented purpuric dermatosis.

On the legs it starts out as little brownish dots and can cause aching. Mild capillaritis clears up within 3–4 months.

The lesions are most frequent on the lower limbs, but may occur anywhere on the body, including the hands, arms, torso and even the neck. They may vary in number and erupt in mass numbers.

They consist of irregular patches of orange or brown pigmentation with characteristic "cayenne pepper" spots appearing within and at the edge of old lesions.

There are usually no symptoms, although there may be some slight itching, but there is no pain.

The eruption may persist for many years. The pattern of the eruption changes, with slow extension and often some clearing of the original lesions.

Schamberg's disease, or progressive pigmented purpuric dermatitis, is a chronic discoloration of the skin which usually affects the legs and often spreads slowly. This disease is more common in males and may occur at any age from childhood onward. This condition is observed worldwide and has nothing to do with race or ethnic background.

Schamberg's disease, (also known as "progressive pigmentary dermatosis of Schamberg", "purpura pigmentosa progressiva" (PPP), and "Schamberg's purpura") is a chronic discoloration of the skin found in people of all ages, usually affecting the legs. It slowly spreads throughout the body, and is most common in males. It is named after Jay Frank Schamberg, who described it in 1901. There is no known cure for this disease and it is not a life-threatening condition. The skin lesions may cause itching, which can be treated by applying cortisone cream. The cortisone cream will only help with the itching and the discoloration of the skin will remain, which may cause a cosmetic concern in the future. Schamberg's disease is usually asymptomatic meaning that it shows no signs of this condition, except for the discoloration of the skin. This condition is caused by leaky blood vessels, where red blood cells escape near the surface of skin and release its iron into the surrounding tissue. The cause of the leaky capillaries is unknown.