Volume 8, Number 3—March 2002
Dispatch
Severe Ehrlichia chaffeensis Infection in a Lung Transplant Recipient: A Review of Ehrlichiosis in the Immunocompromised Patient
Table
Reports of immunocompromised patients with Ehrlichia infection
Immunocompromised state | Age | Form of ehrlichiosis | Clinical features | Outcome | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rheumatoid arthritis, on methotrexate | 49 | Ehrlichia ewingii | Fever, headache | Survived | 5 |
Emphysema, on prednisone | 65 | E. ewingii | Fever, headache | Survived | 5 |
Renal transplant | 11 | E. ewingii | Lyphadenopathy, fever | Survived | 5 |
Liver transplant | 47 | HMEa | Multiorgan failure | Survived | 9 |
Leukemia | 6 | HME | Hepatitis, pancytopenia, rash, renal failure | Survived | 10 |
Asplenia | 71 | HGE | Fever, neurologic dysfunction | Survived | 11 |
Asplenia | 30 | HGE | Rash, fever | Survived | 11 |
HIV infection (CD4 45/mm3) | 33 | HME | Cardiomyopathy, heart failure | Survived | 12 |
Renal transplant | 35 | HME | Rash, pancytopenia, renal failure | Survived | 13 |
HIV infection (CD4 NS) | 38 | HME | Multiorgan failure | Died | 14 |
Sickle beta-thalassemia | NS | HME | Respiratory failure | Survived | 15 |
Renal transplant | NS | HME | NS | Survived | 15 |
HIV infection (CD4 164/mm3) | 52 | HME | Hepatitis, thrombocytopenia | Died | 16 |
Renal transplant | 67 | HGE | Pancytopenia, renal failure, hepatitis | Survived | 17 |
HIV infection CD4 (18/mm3) | 36 | HME | Hepatitis, renal failure | Died | 18 |
Liver transplant | 51 | HME | Pancytopenia, shock | Survived | 19 |
Asplenia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, on steroids | 80 | HGE | Multiorgan failure | Died | 7 |
HIV infection (CD4 199/mm3) | 37 | HME | fever, pancytopenia, toxic-shock-like illness | Survived | 20 |
Splenectomy | 46 | HME | Pancreatitis, shock, encephalitis | Survived | 20 |
HIV infection (CD4 64/mm3) | 41 | HME | Pancytopenia, pulmonary hemorrhage | Died | 21 |
Asplenia | 67 | E. canis | Renal failure respiratory failure, encephalitis | Died | 8 |
Crohn disease requiring prednisone | 57 | E. canis | Pancytopenia, hepatitis | Survived | 22 |
Bilateral lung transplant | 38 | HME | Pancytopenia, renal failure, TTP-like illness | Survived | Current case |
aHME = human monocytic ehrlichiosis; HGE = human granulocytic ehrlichiosis; NS = not specified
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