The American Journal of Medicine
Volume 123, Issue 4 , Pages 312-313 , April 2010

Spotted Fever: Meningococcal Disease and Petechiae

  • Sarah E. Forgie, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
    • Corresponding Author InformationRequests for reprints should be addressed to Sarah E. Forgie, MD, Room 8213, Aberhart Centre One, 11402 University Avenue, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2J3
    • ,
  • Thomas J. Marrie, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

References 

  1. Manchanda V, Gupta S, Bhalla P. Meningococcal disease: history, epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, antimicrobial susceptibility and prevention. Indian J Med Microbiol. 2006;24:7–19
  2. Danielson L, Mann E. The history of a singular and very mortal disease which lately made its appearance in Medfield. Med Agric Reg. 1806;1:65–69
  3. de Souza AL, Seguro AC. Two centuries of meningococcal infections: from Vieusseux to the cellular and molecular basis of disease. J Med Microbiol. 2008;57:1313–1321
  4. Herrick WW. Extrameningeal meningococcus infections. Arch Intern Med. 1919;23:409–418
  5. Herrick WW. Meningococcus infections including meningitis. Bull NY Acad Med. 1931;7(7 Pt 1):487–501
  6. Brandtzaeg P, Kierulf P, Gaustad P, et al. Plasma endotoxin as a predictor of multiple organ failure and death in systemic meningococcal disease. J Infect Dis. 1989;159:195–204
  7. Heilmeyer L. Endotoxin skin inflammation and the Sanarelli-Shwartzman phenomenon. Med Klin. 1968;63:244–246
  8. Pathan N, Faust SN, Levin M. Pathophysiology of meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia. Arch Dis Child. 2003;88:601–607
  9. Faust SN, Levin M, Harrison OB, et al. Dysfunction of endothelial protein C activation in severe meningococcal sepsis. N Engl J Med. 2001;345:408–416
  10. Nielsen HE, Anderen EA, Andersen J, et al. Diagnostic assessment of haemorrhagic rash and fever. Arch Dis Child. 2001;85:160–165
  11. Lasczkowski G, Risse M, Gamerdinger U, Weiler G. Pathogenesis of conjunctival petechiae. Forensic Sci Int. 2005;147:25–29
  12. Brandtzaeg P, Ovsteboo R, Kierulf P. Compartmentalization of lipopolysaccharide production correlates with clinical presentation in meningococcal disease. J Infect Dis. 1992;166:650–652
  13. Caputo GL, Baldwin G, Alpert G, et al. Effect of meningococcal endotoxin in a rabbit model of shock. Circ Shock. 1992;36:104–112
  14. Thompson MJ, Ninis N, Perera R, et al. Clinical recognition of meningococcal disease in children and adolescents. Lancet. 2006;367:397–403
  15. Arend SM, Lavrijsen APM, Kuijken I, et al. Prospective controlled study of the diagnostic value of skin biopsy in patients with presumed meningococcal disease. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2006;25:643–649

 Thomas J. Marrie, MD, Section Editor

 Funding: None.

 Conflict of Interest: Neither author has any conflicts of interest associated with the work presented in this manuscript.

 Authorship: Both authors had access to the data and played a role in writing this manuscript.

PII: S0002-9343(09)01069-9

doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2009.09.032

The American Journal of Medicine
Volume 123, Issue 4 , Pages 312-313 , April 2010

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