Invasive pneumococcal infection associated with hypoplastic spleen

Abstract

A 62 years old woman who had a sputum and cough on the day before visiting our emergency room. Her chief complaint was fever, shivering and difficulty in exercising. She was assessed septic shock because by fever, hypotension, disturbance of consciousness. A Howell-Jolly body was observed in the blood smear, and CT scan showed hypoplastic spleen. She was diagnosed as invasive pneumococcal infection caused by reduced splenic function. If Howell-Jolly body are observed in a blood smear, it suggests that spleen function is decreasing. It is supportive that searching Howell-Jolly body to prove spleen disfunction.