Hyposplenic, coagulopathic, cryptogenetic pneumococcemia.

Abstract

An unusual case of sudden, fulminant pneumococcemia and disseminated intravascular coagulation occurred in a woman who had had incidental splenectomy 8 months previously, at the time of gastrectomy for duodenal ulcer. Similar cases in which there is constant relationship of splenectomy, pneumococcal sepsis, and Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome have been documented. Other similarities which are notable are a tendency for the disease to occur in women, lack of a nidus of infection, and proliferation of diplococci to numbers great enough to be seen easily on the peripheral blood smear.

• Authors: R E Wenk, D Dutta
• Journal: American journal of clinical pathology (Am J Clin Pathol) Vol. 64 Issue 3 Pg. 405-9 (Sep 1975) ISSN: 0002-9173 [Print] England
• PMID: 1163492 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Topics

• Adrenal Gland Diseases
• Aged
• Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation
• Female
• Hemorrhage
• Humans
• Peptic Ulcer (surgery)
• Pneumococcal Infections
• Postgastrectomy Syndromes
• Postoperative Complications
• Sepsis
• Splenectomy
• Syndrome