Abstract
Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a rare but life-threatening condition caused by toxins produced by the Staphylococcus species of organisms.
Diagnosis of postoperative TSS is often challenging because patients may present with generalized systemic symptoms and rarely show signs of local wound infection.
A 70-year-old woman with history of undergoing bilateral mastectomies for breast cancer presented with diarrhea, vomiting, and high fever. She developed a diffuse rash on the upper part of her body the following day. She rapidly developed hypotension, renal failure, and disseminated intravascular coagulation leading to a clinical suspicion of septic shock. Although her wound was clean, we opened the surgical wound and observed no abscess formation. A small amount of serous discharge was sent for culture analysis, which revealed methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus infection, and the toxic shock syndrome toxin antigen was positive. Antibiotics and intravenous immunoglobulin were administered, and on day 6, we performed surgical debridement of the wound. The patient gradually recovered and was discharged a month postoperatively.
