title: Massive intravascular hemolysis in a patient infected by a Clostridium perfringens.
abstract: Clostridium perfringens infection is a very rare cause of massive intravascular hemolysis, but it should always be kept in mind, since only early treatment can rescue patients from an otherwise rapidly fatal outcome. We report a case of a 78-year-old diabetic male who was admitted complaining of general fatigue, dark red urine, and vomiting. His blood revealed massive hemolysis. Computer tomography demonstrated huge liver abscess in the right lobe of the liver. About 1 h after admission, he suddenly fell into a critical condition. He died 3 h after admission in spite of intensive care and resuscitation. Clostridium perfringens was detected from the blood taken before death and from liver abscess by biopsy after death. We concluded that this patient died of acute massive intravascular hemolysis in septicemia caused by Clostridium perfringens infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Tamashima Central Hospital, Kurashiki, Okayama 713-8122, Japan.
authors.forename: Shoichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohtani
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawata
authors.forename: Kimiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Himei
authors.forename: Kazuharu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murakami
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000473:pathology*; D003016:Clostridium perfringens / Q000502:physiology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D018805:Sepsis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*