Immune thrombocytopenia attributed to brucellosis and other mechanisms of Brucella-induced thrombocytopenia.
Thrombocytopenia often complicates the course of acute brucellosis, mainly due to bone marrow suppression or hypersplenism. Immune thrombocytopenia is also reported in brucellosis, resulting usually in massive thrombocytopenia, purpura, and spontaneous hemorrhage. We describe a case of acute brucellosis in an 85-year old woman, who presented with fever, purpuric skin lesions, anemia, and rhinorrhagia. The absolute platelet count was 1000/microL. Direct and indirect Coombs tests were positive, and a cold-agglutinin was detected. The patient was diagnosed as suffering from brucellosis on the basis of a strongly positive serologic reaction and was treated with doxycycline, streptomycin, and a short course of corticosteroids, with a rapid rise in platelet number.
Internal Medicine Department, University Hospital, Ioannina, Greece. gpele@otenet.gr
G
G
Pappas
M
M
Kitsanou
L
L
Christou
E
E
Tsianos
D000208:Acute Disease; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002002:Brucella; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D003298:Coombs Test; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010976:Platelet Count; D016553:Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D013307:Streptomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004318:Doxycycline; D013307:Streptomycin