Abstract

VILLAGRA, M; VALENZUELA, F  and  BLAMEY, R. Purpura in the feet: Meningococcemia? Clinical case report and literature review. Rev. argent. dermatol. [online]. 2018, vol.99, n.2, pp.1-10. ISSN 1851-300X.

Neisseria meningitidis is the etiology of severe, even lethal infections, affecting mainly the young population. However, since the only reservoir is the human nasopharynx, there are asymptomatic carriers. Meningococcus is sensitive to commonly used antibiotics such as third generation cephalosporins and quinolones, but delayed diagnosis due to infrequent clinical presentation and delayed therapy are associated with high morbidity and mortality. We present an 18-year-old female patient with a rapid evolution, with altered inflammatory laboratory parameters, associated with purpuric skin lesions, which evolved with multiorgan failure and fatal outcome, and the etiological confirmation was obtained by the Public Health Institute. We report the case to take into account the diagnosis of meningococcemia in patients with clinical symptoms and laboratory tests suggestive of sepsis and compatible skin lesions.

Keywords : meningococcemia; invasive meningococcal disease; Neisseria meningitidis; purpura fulminans.