Diarrhoea as the presenting sign in an adolescent suffering from severe acute respiratory syndrome.
Patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) may present with extra-pulmonary symptoms. We report a 16-year-old adolescent with SARS who presented with diarrhoea. Treatment directed against SARS was prompted by an epidemiological link and the clinical picture as the disease evolved. This atypical presentation posed a diagnostic challenge for physicians.


CONCLUSIONS
Proper disposal of patient excreta is important to prevent the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome.
Kwan
Yat Wah
YW
Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Princess Margaret Hospital, Princess Margaret Hospital Road, Lai Chi Kok, Kwai Chung, Kowloon, Hong Kong. kwanyw@netvigator.com
Leung
Chi Wai
CW
Chiu
Man Chun
MC
D000293:Adolescent; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D006854:Hydrocortisone