Fatal Pseudomonas Septicemia and Vasculitis in a Premature Infant

Abstract

A characteristic vasculitis is an uncommon but wellrecognized complication of severe Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in the neonate. Although it is one of the most common gram-negative organisms responsible for overall nosocomial infection, it is a rare cause of intrauterine or intrapartum infection of the newborn. We describe a fatal Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection occurring in a very premature infant with widespread skin necrosis. Although this organism is relatively uncommon in the neonate, premature infants are at increased risk of infection, with a significant associated mortality. Early recognition and treatment are therefore very important. CASE REPORTA male infant was born in our unit prematurely at 23 weeks and 3 days of gestation and weighed 652 g. The mother is a 38-year-old Nigerian with known sickle cell trait. She was noted to be rubella immune and hepatitis B and VDRL negative. Her past obstetric history included

Acute Necrotizing Large Vessel Arteritis in a Newborn

“…Treponema pallidum has been found to affect every organ in the human body. 9 Tuberculous aortitis generally affects the distal aortic arch and the descending aorta that is close to the specific groups of mediastinal lymph nodes, but exceptionally it involves the ascending aorta. Syphilitic aortitis of congenital origin in young children has been reported by Yampolsky and Powel.…”