Human parvovirus B19 infection with severe anemia affecting mother and son.
Two patients, a 43-year-old mother and her 12-year-old son developed severe anemia after a disease with fever, myalgia, rash and gastrointestinal symptoms. The infectious proved to be caused by human parvovirus B19 (IgM antibody titer rises). Investigations revealed that both patients suffered from spherocytosis, apparently hereditary and not known before. This emphasizes the importance of thorough hematological investigations in patients showing symptoms resembling a viral disease when seen in connection with severe anemia in order to reveal underlying chronic hemolytic disease. In patients with these diseases transient aplastic crisis will give a much more pronounced anemia than in otherwise healthy individuals.
Eriksson
B M
BM
Department of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
Strömberg
A
A
Kreuger
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010322:Parvoviridae Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D013103:Spherocytosis, Hereditary / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis