Purpura fulminans

Purpura fulminans

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. [cite journal|author=Guelliot A|year=1884|title=Note sur trois cas de purpusa infectieux foudroyant|journal=Un Med Sci Nord-Est|volume=8|pages=25]

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.

Causes

Common causes are severe infection (especially with meningococcus and Gram-negative organisms),cite journal |author=Nolan J, Sinclair R |title=Review of management of purpura fulminans and two case reports |journal=British journal of anaesthesia |volume=86 |issue=4 |pages=581–6 |year=2001 |pmid=11573639 |doi=] and deficiency of the natural anticoagulants protein C or protein S in the blood. [cite journal |author=Marciniak E, Wilson HD, Marlar RA |title=Neonatal purpura fulminans: a genetic disorder related to the absence of protein C in blood |journal=Blood |volume=65 |issue=1 |pages=15–20 |year=1985 |pmid=3838081 |doi=] In some cases, a cause is never found.

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.

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Purpura fulminans — ● Purpura fulminans septicémie foudroyante, due à une infection à méningocoque, ou méningococcémie, atteignant surtout les nourrissons et les jeunes enfants …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Purpura fulminans — Bei Protein C Mangel führt eine aufgrund angeborener (kongenitaler) oder erworbener Erkrankungen erniedrigte Aktivität oder Konzentration von Protein C im Plasma zu einer erhöhten Gerinnbarkeit des Blutes und damit vermehrt zur Entstehung von… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Purpura fulminans — Le purpura fulminans est une forme grave, parfois mortelle, de septicémie, touchant plus fréquemment les enfants et les adolescents. Il est du le plus souvent à une infection bactérienne à méningocoque (70%) et plus rarement à pneumocoque,… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • purpura fulminans — purpura ful·mi·nans fu̇l mə .nanz, fəl n purpura of an often severe progressive form esp. of children that is characterized by widespread necrosis of the skin and that is associated with a severe illness, results from an inherited or acquired… …   Medical dictionary

  • purpura — [ pyrpyra ] n. m. • 1837; mot lat. « pourpre » ♦ Méd. Ensemble de taches cutanées, de couleur rouge foncé, dues à des hémorragies circonscrites au niveau de la peau (pétéchies). Par ext. Maladie caractérisée essentiellement par de petites… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Purpura — Unter Purpura versteht man kleinfleckige Kapillarblutungen in der Haut, Unterhaut (Subkutis) oder den Schleimhäuten. Die einzelnen Blutungen können punktförmig (Petechien), seltener auch streifenförmig (Vibex), kleinflächig (Ekchymose) oder… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Purpura —  Ne doit pas être confondu avec Purpura (mollusque). Purpura Classification et ressources externes …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Purpura — For the American poet, see Lia Purpura. Purpura Classification and external resources Petechia and purpura on the low limb due to medication induced vasculitis ICD …   Wikipedia

  • Purpura — A hemorrhage area in the surface of the skin. The affected area of skin with purpura is greater than 3 millimeters in diameter. The appearance of an individual area of purpura varies with the duration of the lesions. Early purpura is red and… …   Medical dictionary

  • Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura — Classification and external resources Micrograph showing an advanced thrombotic microangiopathy, as may be seen in TTP. Kidney biopsy. PAS stain …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”