Acute thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura following doxycycline treatment of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in a patient with dermatomyositis

Authors: Knox-Macaulay H.H.M.1; Adil S.N.1; Ahmed E.M.E.2

Source: Clinical & Laboratory Haematology, Volume 26, Number 2, April 2004 , pp. 147-151(5)

Publisher: Blackwell Publishing

Abstract:

Summary

A 48-year-old white female who was suffering from dermatomyositis and Chlamydia pneumoniae infection, developed acute rapidly fatal thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) following treatment with steroids and doxycycline. As a relationship between TTP and the inflammatory myopathies is now probably well established, it is very likely that our patient's TTP became manifest in association with dermatomyositis. Nevertheless, C. pneumoniae infection and doxycycline therapy cannot be excluded entirely as cofactors responsible for triggering her thrombotic microangiopathy.

Keywords: Thrombocytopenia; haemolysis; dermatomyositis; Chlamydia pneumoniae; doxycycline

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2257.2004.00594.x

Affiliations: 1: Department of Haematology, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman 2: Department of Medicine, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

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