[Acute abdomen as initial manifestation of meningococcemia].
Abdominal pain as an initial symptom of meningococcemia is an infrequent entity, rarely described in literature. We present a case of a 4 year-old, male, previously healthy child with a 24 hour history of fever and abdominal pain. He is admitted in a surgical unit with a diagnosis of acute abdomen for surgical resolution. The clinical course turns unfavorably, and patient presents signs of severe sepsis. Urgent laparotomy is performed, observing little brownish fluid and mesenteric adenitis. He then exhibits palpable purpuric rapidly progressive lesions in lower extremities, progressing to septic shock. Later, Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B is isolated from blood cultures. The aim of this article is drawing attention to a nontypical form of manifestation of meningococcemia, as a delayed diagnosis and treatment has an impact on morbidity and mortality among the pediatric population.
Tomezzoli
Silvana
S
Unidad 15, Clínica Quirúrgica, Hospital de Niños Dr. Ricardo Gutiérrez, Ciudad de Buenos Aires.
Juárez
María del V
Mdel V
Rossi
Santiago I
SI
Lema
Diego A
DA
Barbaro
Cristian R
CR
Fiorini
Sandra
S
D000006:Abdomen, Acute / Q000382:microbiology*; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis