Efficacy and safety of a hyperoxygenated fatty acid compound in improving the microcirculation of purpura fulminans in paediatric patients with sepsis: a pilot study.

INTRODUCTION: Purpura fulminans (PF) is a serious complication of sepsis resulting from a set of alterations characterised by the development of ecchymotic haemorrhagic lesions and skin necrosis. AIM: To analyse the efficacy and safety of the topical application of HOFA compound, in the cutaneous microcirculation of PF lesions in paediatric patients affected by sepsis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A prospective quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test single-group conducted in a Paediatric Intensive Care Unit of a third level hospital was performed. Paediatric patients aged 0-18 years with sepsis were included. Somatic oximetry values were measured before and after application of HOFAs every 4h over the first three days of the patients' hospitalisation. Patient's socio-demographic and clinical variables and somatic oximetry by placing a sensor for measuring tissue perfusion on the area with PF were determined. RESULTS: Four patients were recruited, with a median age of 98 months. The purpuric lesions measured were mainly located on both feet and hands and, in two patients, also on the lateral malleoli and calves of both lower extremities. A total of 225 measurements were obtained, with mean pre-intervention scores of 71.17±15.65% versus 73.68±14.83% post-intervention. Statistical significance (p<0.001) was observed upon comparison of the pre- and post-intervention measurements. CONCLUSIONS: Early and continued application of HOFAs in the management of sepsis-induced PF is an effective and safe practice in the cases analysed. In more than half of the episodes analysed, an increase in tissue microcirculation was observed after the application of HOFAs, with no adverse events.

Efficacy of extended microthrombolysis in an elderly lady with purpura fulminans.

Purpura fulminans is a thrombotic emergency affecting small vessels of skin and of internal organs that may rapidly progress into necrotizing fasciitis, critical limb ischaemia and multiorgan failure; it often develops during an infection or as a postinfective 'autoimmune' disorder. Although supportive care and hydration are important, anticoagulation ought to be started to prevent further occlusions alongside blood products according to need. Herein, we describe the case of an elderly woman who received extended intravenous low-dose recombinant tissue plasminogen activator at the onset of purpura fulminans that salvaged her skin and prevented the development of multiorgan failure.

Two Cases of COVID-19 Patients With Associated Purpura Fulminans.

Purpura fulminans (PF) is a life-threatening emergency involving coagulopathy and widespread skin necrosis. Early treatment, especially surgical management, is imperative as prognosis can be very poor. PF is most commonly associated with severe bacterial illness; however, viral causes are also possible. Currently in the literature, there have only been a handful of PF cases associated with COVID-19. We present two cases of PF in the setting of COVID-19 infection. Both patients had a history of underlying coagulopathies. PF can be a sign of underlying coagulopathy in a COVID-19 patient, who is already at increased risk for thromboembolic events due to the inflammatory nature of COVID itself. Due to how quickly PF can develop into life-threatening necrosis and multiorgan failure, it is imperative that these patients are referred early to a burn center for more advanced care.

A case of COVID-19 vaccination-associated forme fruste purpura fulminans.

We report the case of a female, 77 year old patient with multi-localized skin infarctions following vaccination with mRNA-1273 (Moderna). This phenomenon is to our knowledge otherwise only seen in infection-associated purpura fulminans - which was thoroughly ruled out in our patient. This report demonstrates that we need to be vigilant of a wider array of vascular phenomena related to Covid vaccinations.

Idiopathic purpura fulminans associated with anti-protein S antibodies in children: a multicenter case series and systematic review.

Idiopathic purpura fulminans (IPF) is a rare but severe prothrombotic coagulation disorder that can occur after chickenpox or human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) infection. IPF leads to an autoantibody-mediated decrease in the plasma concentration of protein S. We conducted a retrospective multicenter study involving patients with IPF from 13 French pediatric centers and a systematic review of cases in published literature. Eighteen patients were included in our case series, and 34 patients were included as literature review cases. The median age was 4.9 years, and the diagnostic delay after the first signs of viral infection was 7 days. The lower limbs were involved in 49 patients (94%) with typical lesions. In all, 41 patients (78%) had a recent history of varicella-zoster virus infection, and 7 patients (14%) had been infected by HHV-6. Most of the patients received heparin (n = 51; 98%) and fresh frozen plasma transfusions (n = 41; 79%); other treatment options were immunoglobulin infusion, platelet transfusion, corticosteroid therapy, plasmapheresis, and coagulation regulator concentrate infusion. The antithrombin level and platelet count at diagnosis seemed to be associated with severe complications. Given the rarity of this disease, the creation of a prospective international registry is required to consolidate these findings.

Thrombus formation and ischemic necrosis of the uterus and adnexa due to purpura fulminans: A case report.

Purpura fulminans (PF) is a syndrome characterized by the sudden onset of progressive skin hemorrhage, necrosis of the extremities, and thrombotic occlusion. Although the cause is believed to be protein C deficiency, many aspects of this syndrome have yet to be clarified. A 45-year-old Japanese woman, G2P2 (vaginal delivery), developed fever and lower abdominal pain. It was her 5th day of menstruation, and a tampon had been in the vagina for a few days. Septic shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation were diagnosed, and multidisciplinary treatment was started. Also, toxic shock syndrome due to tampon use was suspected. The purpura on the limbs turned into blisters and then blackish-purple spots, leading to hemorrhagic necrosis within a few days. Moreover, imaging showed that the uterus and both adnexa had enlarged significantly, and raised suspicion of abscess formation. Total hysterectomy and bilateral adnexectomy were performed, and the histopathological diagnosis was hemorrhagic necrosis due to extensive thrombus formation. In men, PF affects the scrotum and penis, leading to autoamputation of the male genitalia, while there are no reports of PF involving the female genitalia. Regarding the PF, in this case, we considered the possibility of pathologic conditions progressing to the female genitalia.