Manejo quirúrgico temprano en la purpura fulminans del lactante / Early surgical management of purpura fulminans in the infant

Introducción: La purpura fulminans (PF) es una patología grave, que asocia trastornos de la coagulación con afectación principalmente en zonas acrales. El objetivo de este trabajo es destacar la importancia de la sospecha diagnóstica, el manejo multidisciplinar y el tratamiento quirúrgico temprano. Caso: Se describe el caso de una paciente de 14 meses con presentación atípica de PF y síndrome compartimental de antebrazo izquierdo. Tras realizar fasciotomía y un tratamiento médico de soporte de la coagulación intravascular diseminada, se llegó a un diagnóstico etiológico infrecuente: déficit autoinmune de proteína S. Resultados: La purpura progresó en miembros inferiores, que tuvieron buena evolución con las curas locales. No hubo afectación de órganos internos. El miembro superior izquierdo sufrió necrosis seca y precisó amputación. Conclusiones: El manejo de la PF debe ser multidisciplinar para llegar a un diagnóstico certero e iniciar un tratamiento precoz. El diagnóstico y tratamiento rápido del síndrome compartimental es importante para no empeorar el pronóstico del miembro. Entre las opciones de tratamiento quirúrgico encontramos el desbridamiento de heridas, el injerto libre de piel, los colgajos cutáneos y la amputación, para lo cual debe esperarse,siempre que sea posible, a la estabilización del paciente y delimitación de la necrosis.(AU)

Introduction: Purpura fulminans is a serious pathology that associates coagulation disorders which mainly affects acral areas. The aim of this study is to highlight the importance of suspected diagnosis, multidisciplinary management and early surgical treatment. Case: It is described the case of a 14-months-old patient with an atypical presentation of purpura fulminans and a compartmental syndrome of the left forearm. After performing a fasciotomy and a supporting medical treatment for intravascular disseminated coagulation, it was reached to an infrequent diagnosis etiology: autoimmune protein S deficiency. Results: Purple injuries progressed in lower limbs, which had good evolution with local treating. There were no internal organs affection. The left upper limb suffered dry necrosis and it required amputation. Conclusion: The management of PF must be multidisciplinary to reach an ccurate diagnosis and to initiate an early treatment. Prompt diagnosis and treatment of the compartmental syndrome is necessary to prevent a worsening of the limb prognosis. Surgical treatment options include wound debridement, free skin graft, skin flaps and amputation, they should be postponed, as long as possible, until the patient gets stable and the necrosis gets delimitated.(AU)

The protective effect of brachial plexus palsy in purpura fulminans.

Acute infectious purpura fulminans is reported in a 16-month-old male with a history of posttraumatic asplenia and complete left brachial plexus palsy. This patient developed peripheral necrosis of both lower extremities and the right upper extremity, whereas the left upper extremity was completely spared from ischemia and tissue damage. Amputation of four digits on the right hand and debridement of both lower extremities were required. This patient demonstrated the protective effect of a traumatic sympathectomy, which suggests the requirement of an intact sympathetic reflex in the development of purpura fulminans.

Treatment of thromboembolic complications of fulminant meningococcal septic shock.

A patient report of fulminant meningococcal septic shock is described. The presentation, hospital course, and reconstructive efforts are outlined, and a brief review of meningococcal infection is included. Emphasis is placed on the algorithm used to determine treatment. A 19-year-old Hispanic male presented with all the hallmarks of Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome (WFS)-sudden onset, high fever, dyspnea with intermittent cyanosis, shock, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, and the development of purpura. The pathognomonic feature of WFS-hemorrhage into the adrenal glands-if present, was not extensive, as he did not require steroid supplementation. Though cerebrospinal fluid latex agglutination was negative, his serum was positive for group C Neisseria and admission blood cultures grew Neisseria meningitidis. Thromboembolic complications were systemic with the highest morbidity peripherally in the lower extremities. Care for these injuries involved every rung of the reconstructive ladder-from local wound care and skin grafts to local flaps and microvascular transplantation.

Changes in donor site selection in lower limb free flap reconstructions.

Since 1973 we have performed over 1,000 free flap reconstructions mainly in head and neck, breast, and upper and lower limb surgery. In lower leg reconstructions, changing indications for flap selection were not only correlated to new anatomical developments, but mainly due to a better understanding of adaptability of known muscle or fascial free flaps. Reducing donor site morbidity and planning for saving donor sites for future reconstructions are important. Morbidity is reduced by selection of free flaps ideally adjusted to the shape of the defect. Innervated free flaps or functional muscle transplants are rarely indicated in the lower leg. In the early years of microsurgical free flaps, soft tissue reconstruction or bone coverage was the primary indication. Later improving the vascularity of the wound bed by free flap cover increased the indication to chronic infected leg ulcers, osteomyelitis, diabetes, or artheriosclerotic wound defects or pressure sores due to lack of sensibility. Reconstruction of the foot and restoring its weight-bearing capacity is one of the more challenging applications of free flap cover.

[Microvascular flap surgery in arterial occlusive disease]. / Mikrovasculäre Lappenchirurgie bei arterieller Verschlusserkrankung.

In the elderly, occlusive arterial disease is a contributing cause of posttraumatic soft-tissue defects of the lower limb. The reconstructive possibilities by microsurgical flap transplantation available are presented on the basis of 22 patients treated. Four failures were due to an almost or completely occluded peripheral outflow. Vein bypass was combined twice with an arterio-venous fistula, but occluded nevertheless.

[Diagnosis of an infected thrombus of the inferior vena cava with ultrasound and computerized tomography]. / Diagnose eines infizierten Thrombus der Vena cava inferior mit Sonographie und Computertomographie.

The incidence of central venous catheter-associated thrombosis is up to 66%; nevertheless, in most cases it is of little clinical importance. A rare, but serious complication is infection of a catheter-associated thrombosis, which occurs in 7-16%. We report the case of a 16-year-old male patient, who suffered from meningitis and Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome. After initial improvement in the intensive care unit, he developed septic temperatures, caused by an infected thrombus of a central venous catheter in the inferior vena cava. Color-coded ultrasound showed hyperechogenic signals and missing flow detection at the catheter tip. Computed tomography showed air bubbles in the thrombosed catheter tip and confirmed the diagnosis. Vascular surgery was done and an infected, 17-cm-long infected thrombus was removed. The recent literature on this topic is reviewed.