Gastroenteritis in an adult female revealing hemolytic uremic syndrome: Case report

Abstract

Nowadays acute gastroenteritis infection caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 is frequently associated with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which usually developed after prodromal diarrhea that is often bloody. The abdominal pain accompanied by failure kidney is a suspicious symptom to develop this disorder. Their pathological characteristic is vascular damage which manifested as arteriolar and capillary thrombosis with abnormalities in the endothelium and vessel walls. The major etiological agent of HUS is enterohemorragic (E coli) strain belonging to serotype O157:H7. The lack of papers about HUS associated to gastroenteritis lead us to report this case for explain the symptoms that are uncommon. Furthermore, this report provides some strategies to suspect and make an early diagnosis, besides treatment approach to improving outcomes and prognosis for patients with this disorder.

Keywords: Gastroenteritis; Gastrointestinal hemorrhage; Hemolytic-uremic syndrome; Escherichia coli O157; Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli

Core tip: Bloody diarrhea and Hemolytic uremic syndrome are frequent caused by E. coli serotype O157:H7. The most causes of gastroenteritis are diagnosed as non-infectious illness and this could be the reason that clinicians did not usually associated with the hemolytic uremic syndrome development. This case report not only represents the importance of the diagnosis and the treatment approach, but also is one of the few studies where it is emphasized the gastrointestinal role and the critical symptoms that the clinical has to recognize it.