title: The first fatal case of Mediterranean spotted fever in Croatia.
abstract: The first lethal case of Mediterranean spotted fever in Croatia is described. A previously healthy, 58-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with high fever and rash. Several days later, severe anemia, leukopenia and thrombocytopenia developed, and the patient died about eight weeks after the onset of disease. Bone marrow biopsy showed hypercellularity of the cortical and trabecular bone structures with morphologically normal cells of all three hematopoietic lineages that were reduced due to regular nodular infiltrates. Serologic findings indicated that Rickettsia conorii infection was the etiologic cause of the patient's death.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, General Hospital, Zadar, Croatia. boris.dzelalija@zd.tel.hr
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dzelalija
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petrovec
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gasparov
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Avsić-Zupanc
mesh_terms: D001907:Boutonneuse Fever / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017523:Croatia / Q000453:epidemiology; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged