Purpura fulminans: an unusual manifestation of severe falciparum malaria.
We describe a 67-year-old Japanese woman who contracted severe falciparum malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. The patient had impaired consciousness, jaundice and acute renal failure. Most interestingly, she manifested purpura fulminans, a cutaneous sign of disseminated intravascular coagulation, which rarely develops in severe falciparum malaria. She required intensive treatment, including haemofiltration, plasma exchange and digital amputation, to recover. This case provides further evidence that purpura fulminans is a potential clinical manifestation of severe falciparum malaria.
Kato
Yasuyuki
Y
Department of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo Metropolitan Bokutoh Hospital, 4-23-15 Kohtohbashi, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 130-8575, Japan. ykato@imcj.hosp.go.jp
Ohnishi
Kenji
K
Sawada
Yasuyuki
Y
Suenaga
Matsuhiko
M
D000368:Aged; D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D005078:Exchange Transfusion, Whole Blood / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011695:IgA Vasculitis / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000628:therapy; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000150:complications*; D014195:Travel; D016896:Treatment Outcome