Purpura Fulminans in a Newborn Baby

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Abstract
Clinical details are given of purpura fulminans in a newborn infant who died on the 8th day after birth. As far as can be ascertained, this is the first reported case of purpura fulminans in a newborn infant. Intravascular thrombosis and extensive extravascular hemorrhage was associated with thrombocytopenia and hypofibrinogenemia. Gangrene and hemorrhage affected the skin as well as the viscera. There was evidence to suggest that the disease process started in utero. The pathology of purpura fulminans and its resemblance to anaphylactoid purpura, periarteritis nodosa and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura are discussed. The four diseases seem to have a common relation to the hypersensitive immuno-logical reaction which is found in the Shwartzman phenomenon.