Peritonitis in patients with scrub typhus

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2012 Jun;86(6):1046-8. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.2012.11-0586.

Abstract

Various complications have been reported in scrub typhus cases including acute respiratory distress syndrome, encephalitis, pneumonia, pericarditis, acute renal failure, and acute hepatic failure. Few studies have reported on the gastrointestinal manifestations of scrub typhus. Typical gastrointestinal manifestations in patients with scrub typhus include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, hematemesis, melena, and diarrhea. The two cases presented in this study are the first reported cases of peritonitis associated with scrub typhus. This study shows that scrub typhus should also be included in the differential diagnosis of peritonitis in areas where Orientia tsutsugamushi is endemic.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Doxycycline / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Orientia tsutsugamushi / isolation & purification
  • Orientia tsutsugamushi / pathogenicity
  • Peritonitis / complications*
  • Peritonitis / diagnosis*
  • Peritonitis / drug therapy
  • Peritonitis / microbiology
  • Scrub Typhus / complications*
  • Scrub Typhus / diagnosis
  • Scrub Typhus / drug therapy
  • Scrub Typhus / physiopathology

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Doxycycline