Rotavirus infection-associated immune thrombocytopenic purpura
Osman Yeşilbaş1
, Esra Demirok Özalp2, Serkan Atıcı3, Emine Betül Tavil4, Ahmet Soysal5
1Ataşehir Memorial Hospital, Department Of Pediatrics And Division Of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, İstanbul, Türkiye
2Ataşehir Memorial Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, İstanbul, Türkiye
3Okan University, School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics and Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, İstanbul, Türkiye
4Ataşehir Memorial Hospital, Department of Pediatrics and Division of Pediatric Hematology, İstanbul, Türkiye
5Ataşehir Memorial Hospital, Department of Pediatrics and Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, İstanbul, Türkiye
Keywords: Rotavirus, gastroenteritis, immune thrombocytopenic purpura
Abstract
Background: Rotavirus infection, especially gastroenteritis with severe vomiting, may cause critical and potentially life-threatening dehydration. Extraintestinal involvement related to rotavirus infection is rarely documented. Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) may occur after some viral infections; however, its association with wild-type rotavirus gastroenteritis has rarely been reported, in only a few cases.
Case Presentation: A previously healthy 3-year-old girl presented to the pediatric emergency department with high-grade fever, fatigue, watery-bloodless diarrhea, and vomiting. Her vital signs, physical examination, and laboratory results were all consistent with severe dehydration secondary to gastroenteritis. The enzyme immunoassay test was positive for rotavirus and was detected without leukocyte and erythrocyte in the microscopic examination of the stool. Scattered petechiae were observed on her body two days later, and platelet counts gradually dropped to 4.000/mm3. The diagnosis of ITP secondary to rotavirus gastroenteritis was established based on the patient's history, physical examination,laboratory results, and peripheral blood smear findings. Her platelet counts gradually rose to 63.000/mm3 within the next two days after a single 1 g/kg intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. Four days after discharge, the follow-up revealed that her platelet counts increased to 594.000/mm3.
Conclusions: Rotavirus infections are prevalent in childhood, and it should be kept in mind that autoimmune diseases, such as ITP, may be precipitated by rotavirus infection.
Cite this article as: Yeşilbaş O, Demirok Özalp E, Atıcı S, Tavil EB, Soysal A. Rotavirus infection-associated immune thrombocytopenic purpura. Pediatr Acad Case Rep. 2025;4(3):55-7.
The parents’ of this patient consent was obtained for this study.
The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to authorship and/or publication of the article.
The authors received no financial support for the research and/or publication of this article.