title: Isolated Severe Immune Thrombocytopenia due to Acute Brucellosis.
abstract: Mild anemia and leukopenia are the most common hematologic findings in the course of acute brucellosis. However severe form of thrombocytopenia is less frequently reported. The patient was admitted to the hospital with fever, gingival bleeding, and petechial skin lesions related to severe thrombocytopenia. He was investigated for the causes of thrombocytopenia. Test results showed that Wright agglutination test was positive at 1/5120 titer, and blood culture was positive for Brucella melitensis. Finally, he was diagnosed as acute brucellosis. Rifampicin and doxycycline treatment was started on he third day of admission. A bone marrow aspiration was performed on the seventh day of admission because of severe thrombocytopenia did not response to brucellosis treatment. The result of bone marrow aspiration was consistent with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. With the addition of corticosteroid treatment, his complaints resolved immediately, and thrombocyte count rose to normal range. He was discharged on the 12th day of rifampicin and doxycycline therapy, and he was successfully completed 6-week therapy. In cases of brucella induced immune thrombocytopenia, corticosteroid treatment might be useful for the prevention of bleeding complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Besevler, 06510 Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Guzel Tunccan
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Besevler, 06510 Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dizbay
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Besevler, 06510 Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Esin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Senol
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Besevler, 06500 Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Zeynep
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Aki
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Besevler, 06510 Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kevser
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
keywords: Brucellosis; Corticosteroid treatment; Immune thrombocytopenia