Open AccessPurpura Fulminans: a Rare but Fierce Presentation of Pneumococcal Sepsis
Author(s) -
Adeel Nasrullah,
Anam Javed,
Usman Tariq,
Meilin Young,
Zunera Moeen,
Marvin Balaan
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
european journal of case reports in internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.125
H-Index - 1
ISSN - 2284-2594
DOI - 10.12890/2019_001373
Subject(s) - purpura fulminans , medicine , sepsis , intensive care medicine , streptococcus pneumoniae , neisseria meningitidis , coagulopathy , disseminated intravascular coagulation , septic shock , purpura (gastropod) , pediatrics , dermatology , antibiotics , immunology , surgery , ecology , genetics , bacteria , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
Infectious purpura fulminans (PF) is a rare presentation of disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC) due to diffuse intravascular thrombosis and haemorrhagic infarction of the skin. PF can present in infancy/childhood or adulthood and usually presents as ecchymotic skin lesions, fever and hypotension. It is most commonly a consequence of sepsis related to Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae or Haemophilus influenzae. Despite aggressive management of sepsis with intravenous fluids, antibiotics, and conventional and nonconventional therapies, the condition still carries a mortality rate of 43%[1]. Streptococcus pneumoniae mostly presents with community-acquired pneumonia. We present a case of PF secondary to DIC related to Pneumococcal sepsis in an otherwise healthy and immunocompetent patient.