Purpura Fulminans: a Rare but Fierce Presentation of Pneumococcal Sepsis
  • Adeel Nasrullah
    Department of Internal Medicine, Allegheny Health Network; Pittsburgh, USA
  • Anam Javed
    Department of Internal Medicine, University College of Medicine and Dentistry, Lahore, Pakistan
  • Usman Tariq
    Department of Internal Medicine, Allegheny Health Network; Pittsburgh, USA
  • Meilin Young
    Departement of Pulmonology and Critical care, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, USA
  • Zunera Moeen
    Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech Permian Basin, Odessa, USA
  • Marvin Balaan
    Departement of Pulmonology and Critical care, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, USA

Keywords

Purpura fulminans, sepsis, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, Streptococcus pneumoniae

Abstract

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.

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    Published: 2019-12-30
    Issue: 2020: Vol 7 No 1 (view)

    How to cite:
    1.
    Nasrullah A, Javed A, Tariq U, Young M, Moeen Z, Balaan M. Purpura Fulminans: a Rare but Fierce Presentation of Pneumococcal Sepsis. EJCRIM 2019;7 doi:10.12890/2019_001373.