Abstract
Approximately 10% of patients with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), characterized by microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and acute renal failure, are classified as having atypical HUS (aHUS) owing to the absence of an episode of diarrhea caused by verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli. Over 50% of cases are caused by complement dysregulation, but some cases occur after infection with pathogens such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, influenza virus, and others. We report the case of a 2-month-old infant with aHUS associated with pertussis. She was admitted to a local hospital with pneumonia caused by Bordetella pertussis infection and transferred to our intensive care unit owing to the development of secondary aHUS. In addition to continuous hemodialysis for severe renal dysfunction, she was treated with plasma therapies, including plasma exchange. Her condition improved and her renal function fully recovered. All of the reported cases of aHUS associated with pertussis have been in infants. When treating infants with pertussis-related aHUS, we must pay attention to the burden of the treatment itself, such as continuous hemodialysis and plasma exchange, on the infants.
