If early diagnosis and antibacterial treatment, along with steroids, is not. Waterhousefriderichsen syndrome is adrenal gland failure due to bleeding into the adrenal gland. Most patients with this condition are children, although adults may rarely be affected. It is characterized by overwhelming bacterial infection meningococcemia leading to. Waterhouse friderichsen syndrome occurs when the blood vessels in the adrenal gland rupture during a severe bacterial infection, turning the adrenal glands into sacks of blood. Waterhousefriderichsen syndrome statpearls ncbi bookshelf. Thank you for joining me on this pearl of laboratory medicine on hypocortisolism. Waterhousefriderichsen syndrome as a result of non. The electric refrigerator is perhaps the chief cause of the remarkable decline in the number of smallpox cases which the united states has experienced in recent years. Typically, it is caused by neisseria meningitidis the bacterial infection leads to massive bleeding into one or usually both adrenal glands. Symptoms include acute adrenal gland insufficiency, and profound shock. Disseminated intravascular coagulation and the waterhouse. Waterhouse in 1911 as a case of suprarenal apoplexy1 and by c.
Waterhousefriderichsen syndrome wfs is defined as adrenal gland failure due to bleeding into the adrenal glands, commonly caused by severe bacterial infection. Waterhousefriderichsen syndrome massive adrenal haemorrhage in the setting of overwhelming clinical sepsisis usually taken at necropsy to indicate meningococcal infection, and may be the only evidence of this pathogen. This results in adrenal crisis, or acute adrenal insufficiency, which is when the adrenal gland suddenly stops producing hormones. Waterhousefriderichsen syndrome is characterized by the abrupt onset of fever, petechiae, septic shock, and disseminated intravascular coagulation dic followed by acute hemorrhagic necrosis of the adrenal glands and severe cardiovascular dysfunction. The bacterial infection leads to massive bleeding into one or both adrenal glands. Fulminant infection from meningococcal bacteria in the bloodstream is a medical emergency and requires emergent treatment with vasopressors, fluid.
The disease now known as the waterhousefriderichsen syndrome was recognized as an entity by little 1 in 1901. Waterhousefriderichsen syndromemassive adrenal haemorrhage in the. Acquired postinfectious disease that was first described by arthur francis voelcker in 1894, and subsequently explained by carl friderichsen, danish pediatrician in 1918. This report describes three fatal cases of the syndrome in which the causative organism proved to be a streptococcus. It is usually caused by severe meningococcal infection or other severe, bacterial infection.
A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Waterhousefriderichsen syndrome is one of the fatal complications of meningococcal. Waterhousefriderichsen syndrome also known as purpura fulminans 9 or hemorrhagic adrenalitis 10 is characterized by adrenal insufficiency that results from. Hemorrhage waterhousefriderichsen syndrome associated with warfarin and. Waterhousefriderichsen syndrome wfs is a catastrophic sepsis with a. The presence of dic in the waterhousefriderichsen syndrome suggests that heparin should be a logical form of treatment. The importance of the postmortem interval for the diagnosis of. It is characterized by overwhelming bacterial infection meningococcemia leading to massive blood invasion, organ failure, coma, low blood pressure and shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation with. The waterhousefriderichsen syndrome was described by the british physician r. A blood sample should be drawn, and treatment started immediately before obtaining the results.
Full text get a printable copy pdf file of the complete article 1. Pdf waterhousefriderichsen syndrome as a result of non. In patients with menin gococcemia, lifethreatening waterhouse friderichsen syndrome can develop, characterized by the rapid development of dic associated with shock and hemorrhagic necrosis of the skin and adrenal glands. Autopsy, forensic microbiology, waterhousefriderichsen syndrome, postmortem interval. Woman 24 years old with no history of importance except being operated caesarean operation two months and a half without incident, resulting in macrosomia product. Pdf first case reported in adults waterhousefriderichsen syndrome secondary to staphylococcus haemolyticus is concluded find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. Waterhouse friderichsen syndrome luis del carpioorantes md department of internal medicine, general hospital 71 mexican social security institute case. The waterhousefriderichsen syndrome in the differential diagnosis of acute abdominal crises. Waterhousefriderichsen syndrome is defined as adrenal gland failure due to bleeding into the adrenal glands, commonly caused by severe bacterial infection.
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