A syndrome characterized by the spontaneous appearance of painful ecchymoses, usually at the site of a bruise. The areas itch and bum. The condition is commonly associated with headache, nausea, vomiting, and occasionally with intracranial, genitourinary, and gastrointestinal bleeding. With few exceptions, the disorder affects women of middle age. The cause is assumed to be auto-sensitivity to a component of the red blood cell membrane. There is no specific therapy.