The importance of the postmortem interval for the diagnosis of Waterhouse­Friderichsen syndrome by Neisseria meningitidis in a series of forensic cases

The effective value of microbiological post-mortem examinations stands as fundamental in forensic cases involving microbiology. We ran these analyses on five victims, who suddenly died after showing persistent fever. The examinations were conducted between 48 hours and 10 days after death, and adrenal gland apoplexy was detected in all the cases. Microbiological examinations identified Neisseria meningitidis, which was accountable for Waterhouse­Friderichsen syndrome. Diplococci were isolated from three cadavers that underwent forensic dissection between 2 and 3 days after death. The remaining two cadavers showed polymicrobial contamination, and a polymerase chain reaction technique was necessary to identify the pathogen. We assumed that the microbial overlap could lead to diagnostic mistakes and conceal the identification of the lethal pathogen. Therefore, we suggest using molecular techniques for a postmortem interval (PMI) longer than 72 hours. Classical microbiological examination should be performed for PMI within 72 hours.

Meningococcemia fulminante - Síndrome Waterhouse - Friderichsen: o mais grave espectro clínico da doença meningocócica / Fulminans meningococcemia - Waterhouse - Frderichsen's syndrome: the most serious spectrum of the meningococcal disease

É apresentado o caso de uma paciente adulta jovem, previamente sadia, que, em 24 horas, desenvolveu febre com mialgias e artralgias, intensa agitaçäo psicomotora e queda do nível de consciência, simultaneamente com o aparecimento de lesöes petioquiais, lesöes de púrpura fulminans e equimoses disseminadas, entrando em estado de choque refratário e falecendo duas horas após internaçäo. O estudo de necrópsia revelou os achados clássicos da síndrome de Waterhouse-Frederichsen, servindo o caso para demonstrar as características clínicas, patogênicas e anatomopatológicas do mais grave espectro clínico da doença meningocócica

Enfermedad meningococcica / Meningococcal disease

A propósito de la presentación de un caso, se señalan los aspectos esenciales de la enfermedad meningocóccica. Las manifestaciones cutáneas incluyen fenómenos de coagulación intravascular diseminada (CID) por posibles efectos endotoxínicos sobre los vasos sanguíneos y otras, por acción directa del miningococo en la piel. El fenómeno de púrpura fulminante está condicionado por bajos niveles de trombocitos circulantes y otros que se consideran como posibles variantes de la reacción generalizada de Schwartzman, asociada con liberación endotonica de bacterias y la ya mencionada CID