Purpura fulminans
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| Purpura fulminans Classification and external resources |
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| ICD-10 | D65. (ILDS D65.x20) |
|---|---|
| ICD-9 | 286.6 |
| DiseasesDB | 34463 |
| MeSH | D011695 |
Purpura fulminans is a haemorrhagic condition usually associated with sepsis or previous infection. It occurs mainly in babies and small children.
It was first described by Guelliot in 1884.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Presentation
It is a life-threatening disorder of acute onset. It is characterized by cutaneous haemorrhage and necrosis (tissue death), low blood pressure, fever and disseminated intravascular coagulation.
[edit] Causes
Common causes are severe infection (especially with meningococcus and Gram-negative organisms),[2] and deficiency of the natural anticoagulants protein C or protein S in the blood.[3] In some cases, a cause is never found.[2]
[edit] Treatment
Treatment is mainly by removing the underlying cause and with supportive treatment. In many cases, digits may need to be amputated when their blood supply has ceased completely.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Guelliot A (1884). "Note sur trois cas de purpusa infectieux foudroyant". Un Med Sci Nord-Est 8: 25.
- ^ a b c Nolan J, Sinclair R (2001). "Review of management of purpura fulminans and two case reports". British journal of anaesthesia 86 (4): 581–6. PMID 11573639.
- ^ Marciniak E, Wilson HD, Marlar RA (1985). "Neonatal purpura fulminans: a genetic disorder related to the absence of protein C in blood". Blood 65 (1): 15–20. PMID 3838081.
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