Vibrio vulnificus septicaemia presenting as spontaneous necrotising cellulitis in a woman with hepatic cirrhosis.
Vibrio vulnificus is a virulent marine organism commonly found in Hong Kong coastal waters which contaminates local sea-food. It may produce a primary septicaemia, often associated with secondary skin lesions, following ingestion of raw shell fish. We report a rapidly fatal case of primary V. vulnificus septicaemia in a 50-year-old housewife with post-hepatitic cirrhosis presenting as spontaneous necrotising cellulitis of the legs. V. vulnificus infection should be considered in patients with a history of liver disease with acute septicaemia and characteristic skin lesions.
Arnold
M
M
Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, N.T.
Woo
M L
ML
French
G L
GL
D002481:Cellulitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009336:Necrosis; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D018805:Sepsis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012872:Skin Diseases, Vesiculobullous / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D014733:Vibrio / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014735:Vibrio Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*