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Review
. 2019 Dec 7;13(1):358.
doi: 10.1186/s13256-019-2299-x.

Scrub typhus with multi-organ dysfunction syndrome and immune thrombocytopenia: a case report and review of the literature

Weijia Li  1 , Lei Huang  2 , Weixing Zhang  3
Affiliations
Review

Scrub typhus with multi-organ dysfunction syndrome and immune thrombocytopenia: a case report and review of the literature

Weijia Li et al. J Med Case Rep. .

Abstract

Background: Scrub typhus is an acute infectious zoonotic disease caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi. Multi-organ dysfunction secondary to scrub typhus is hard to diagnose and has a high mortality rate. Only one case of scrub typhus with multi-organ dysfunction syndrome and immune thrombocytopenia has been reported thus far. In this study, we report a second case of scrub typhus with multi-organ dysfunction syndrome and immune thrombocytopenia, and we summarize its diagnosis and treatment.

Case presentation: A 43-year-old Han Chinese woman, a sanitation worker, was admitted to our hospital after 7 days of a skin infection and 5 days of a sore throat with fever and dizziness. A physical examination revealed the presence of an eschar on the right side of her neck. She had a history of insect bites during her sanitation work. A diagnostic evaluation identified scrub typhus as the primary illness, which was associated with multi-organ dysfunction syndrome and immune thrombocytopenia. She recovered completely after 15 days of treatment and extensive symptomatic supportive care.

Conclusion: We report a second case of tsutsugamushi disease with multi-organ dysfunction syndrome and immune thrombocytopenia, which resolved after treatment and extensive care.

Keywords: Immune thrombocytopenia; Multi-organ dysfunction syndrome; Scrub typhus.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Changes in diagnostic examinations during treatment. a The change in the eschar during treatment. b The change in chest radiograph during treatment. c The change in computed tomography during treatment
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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