Thrombocytopenic purpura and acute bartonellosis (Carrion’s Disease) in Huaraz, Peru

• Autores: López de Guimaraes, Douglas, Menacho López, Julio, Norabuena Penadillo, Rafael, Romero Solórzano, Olaf, Maguiña Vargas, Ciro
• Formato: artículo
• Fecha de Publicación: 2006
• Institución: Colegio Médico del Perú
• Repositorio: Acta Médica Peruana
• Lenguaje: español
• OAI Identifier: oai:ojs.pkp.sfu.ca:article/1091
• Enlace del recurso: https://amp.cmp.org.pe/index.php/AMP/article/view/1091
• Nivel de acceso: acceso abierto
• Materia: Thrombocytopenic purpura; Acute

We report four cases of acute bartonellosis (positive blood smear for Bartonella bacilliformis), who were present as an important complication, the thrombocytopenic purpura syndrome, a barely described complication for acute bartonellosis. The four cases were hospitalized in the Victor Ramos Guardia Hospital, and all of them are from the endemic zone of Ancash; three are natives and one live 5 years ago in this place. The range of the age was 14 -33 years; the time of the disease, 14-30 days; the parasitic index, 2%-62%. They presented with anemia, fever, epistaxis, petechiae and purpura; two cases had jaundice and hepatoesplenomegaly. The haemoglobin was between 5,6 and 9,7 g/dL; the leukocyte count was between 6 000 to 46 000/mm3 and the platelets were between 5 000 to 20 000/mm3. The direct Coomb’s test, LE cell test and Elisa for HIV were negative.