Purpura fulminans in a child due to Neisseria meningitidis

Excerpt

A 6-month-old girl with a 1-day history of fever and vomiting was admitted to hospital. She was febrile and had mild dehydration. Within 4 h of admission, petechiae developed on the chest and were quickly replaced by bullous, purpuric lesions (Fig. 1). Shortly after, she became critically ill with hypotension, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia. The patient was intubated and treated with intravenous fluids and ceftriaxone (Fig. 2). On the second day of hospitalization, blood culture obtained on admission was positive for Neisseria meningitidis. Despite the appropriate medical and supportive treatment, disseminated vascular coagulation (DIC) and multi-organ failure developed and the patient died during the 58th h of hospitalization.

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