title: Human monocytic ehrlichiosis presenting as acute appendicitis during pregnancy.
abstract: Human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME) is caused by Ehrlichia chaffeensis, an obligate intracellular bacterium that infects mononuclear phagocytic cells. We report a unique case of HME diagnosed in a woman who presented with abdominal pain and acute appendicitis during early pregnancy and whose condition progressively deteriorated to adult respiratory distress syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Microbiology, Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Ann E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Smith Sehdev
authors.forename: Paul S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Sehdev
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: J Stephen
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Dumler
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D018469:Ehrlichia chaffeensis; D016873:Ehrlichiosis / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009000:Monocytes / Q000382:microbiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000382:microbiology*