Open AccessSalmonella infection as a trigger for Polyarteritis Nodosa
Author(s) -
Pedro Tavares,
Priscila Souza Sarmento Alves,
Rita Lizardo Grácio,
Paula Gonçalves Costa,
Carla Lima Falcao,
Catarina Santos,
Filipa Amado
Publication year - 2020
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 - 10.12890/2020_001403
Subject(s) - polyarteritis nodosa , medicine , vasculitis , necrotizing vasculitis , pathology , typhoid fever , salmonella , salmonella typhi , dermatology , disease , bacteria , biology , genetics , biochemistry , chemistry , escherichia coli , gene
Polyarteritis nodosa is a systemic necrotizing vasculitis that typically affects medium-sized muscular arteries, with occasional involvement of small muscular arteries. Most cases of polyarteritis nodosa are idiopathic but multiple infectious agents have been associated with this disease. We present a clinical case of a 72-year-old male with fever, diarrhoea and haemodynamic instability, diagnosed with a bacterial infection caused by Salmonella Typhi. One week after clinical resolution of the infection, the patient developed purpuric lesions with ulcers, pustules and necrotic areas accompanied by testicular pain and weight loss of 5 kg over the previous 15 days. A skin biopsy was performed and it revealed typical histologic signs of polyarteritis nodosa. The aetiologic association between bacteria of the genus Salmonella and polyarteritis nodosa has been previously described in the scientific literature but seldom meeting classification criteria and with histologic confirmation.