Anest. intenziv. Med. 2025;36(2):97-101 | DOI: 10.36290/aim.2025.020
Fatal intravascular haemolysis caused by Clostridium perfringens - case report and literature reviewCase Report
- 1 Interní gastroenterologická klinika Fakultní nemocnice Brno
- 2 Lékařská fakulta Masarykovy univerzity, Brno
This case report documents a case of fulminant bacteraemia caused by Clostridium perfringens in a 76-year-old healthy man, which led to massive intravascular haemolysis, refractory septic shock and death within a few hours. Typical CT findings of gas in the liver and laboratory evidence of massive hemolysis led to suspicion of toxin-producing infection, which was confirmed post mortem by culture and PCR detection of alpha-toxin. The case report describes the extremely rapid course of the disease and highlights the need for urgent consideration of this diagnosis in septic states with hemolysis. We discuss the pathophysiology and diagnostic possibilities and present a literature review of previously published cases of this disease.
Keywords: Clostridium perfringens, massive intravascular hemolysis, alpha-toxin, septic shock, anaerobic infection.
Received: October 17, 2024; Revised: May 5, 2025; Accepted: May 9, 2025; Published: June 27, 2025 Show citation
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